Mark Stone (ice hockey)

Mark Daniel Stone (born May 13, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round, 178th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Mark Stone
Stone at the 2012 World Junior Championships
Born	May 13, 1992 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Vegas Golden Knights Ottawa Senators
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	178th overall, 2010 Ottawa Senators
Playing career	2012–present

Stone tied Johnny Gaudreau to lead all NHL rookies in scoring during the 2014–15 season with 64 points and received a nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie. Stone is widely recognized as one of the NHL's premier two-way forwards. During the 2018–19 NHL season, he was traded to Vegas, and subsequently signed a long-term contract with the team.

Playing career

Junior

Stone (right) fights with Brandon Davidson of the Regina Pats in 2010

After a season with the Winnipeg Thrashers of the Manitoba Midget 'AAA' Hockey League, in which he competed in the 2008 Telus Cup, Stone began his major junior career with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2008–09. He recorded 39 points (17 goals and 22 assists) over 56 games, tying for 12th in WHL rookie scoring.[1] During the 2009 playoffs, he added four points (one goal and three assists) over 12 games. The following season began with Stone ranked in the top 50 on several major scouting lists for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Suffering a concussion and thumb injury during the season, he was limited to 28 points (11 goals and 17 assists) over 39 games, hindering his final draft ranking among scouts.[2] Healthy during the playoffs, he competed in all the Wheat Kings' 15 contests, recording a goal and three assists. Although the Wheat Kings were eliminated in the WHL Conference Finals, they advanced to the 2010 Memorial Cup by way of having been chosen as the host team at the beginning of the year. Playing in the semi-final against the Calgary Hitmen, Stone competed opposite his older brother, Michael.[3] The Wheat Kings beat the Hitmen in dramatic fashion to advance to the Memorial Cup Final, which they lost to the Windsor Spitfires; Stone had no points in five tournament games. During the off-season, he was selected in the sixth round, 178th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Stone was scouted as a power forward with weak skating.[2]

Stone appeared in his first NHL training camp in September 2010 and was returned to junior for the subsequent season. Playing in his third WHL campaign, Stone emerged with 106 points (37 goals and 69 assists) over 71 games, first on his team and third in WHL scoring.[4] His performance earned him a spot on the WHL East First All-Star Team at the end of the year.[5] During the post-season, Stone recorded ten points over six games as the Wheat Kings were eliminated in the first round. Returning to the Senators' training camp for the second year, he was signed to a three-year, entry level contract before being sent back to the Wheat Kings for the 2011–12 season. Back in junior, Stone was named Brandon's new team captain,[2] replacing Shayne Wiebe,[6] who had turned professional.[7] Cory Clouston, the Senators' head coach from Stone's first training camp with the team, had been fired and became the Wheat Kings' new coach. He praised Stone as an intelligent hockey player and for improving his core strength from the previous year. During the season, he was selected to compete for Team WHL against the Russian under-20 select squad in the 2011 Subway Super Series. He recorded a goal and an assist in one of the contests on November 17, 2011, to be named the player of the game.[2] In December 2011, Stone was chosen as one of 16 nominees for the 54th annual H. L. (Krug) Crawford Memorial Award for sporting excellence in southwestern Manitoba.[8]

Stone concluded his junior career following the 2011–12 season by being named the winner of the Brad Hornung Trophy as the WHL's most sportsmanlike player, after finishing the season as the WHL's second-leading scorer with 123 points and being named an Eastern Conference First Team All-Star.[9]

Ottawa Senators

On April 20, 2012 the Ottawa Senators announced Stone would be joining the team and would likely make his NHL debut for the Senators on April 21 in Game 5 of their first round playoff series against the New York Rangers.[10] Stone did indeed play, recording an assist on the winning goal scored by Jason Spezza.[11] Stone made his NHL regular season debut nearly one year later, on March 6, 2013, against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored his first NHL goal on January 4, 2014, against Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. Stone split the 2013–14 season between Ottawa and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, recording 4 goals and 8 points in 19 NHL games.

Stone made the Senators' opening night line-up for the 2014–15 season and subsequently enjoyed success on the all-rookie "Kid Line" alongside Mike Hoffman and Curtis Lazar. That offensive success resulted in the Senators announcing on November 7, 2014, that Stone would be staying with the NHL club for the remainder of the season.[12] As the season progressed, Stone became one of Ottawa's top-six forwards, scoring 16 goals and 43 points in his first 62 games and receiving mention as a Calder Memorial Trophy candidate as the NHL's top rookie. He led all NHL players in scoring after the 2015 all-star break. Stone ended the 2014–15 season tied for the rookie scoring lead with the Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau, with 64 points (26 goals, 38 assists) in 80 games, along with leading the NHL in takeaways (98).[13] However, on April 15, Stone suffered a fractured wrist from a slash by Montreal player P. K. Subban. Subban was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct as a result.[14] Despite the injury, Stone appeared in all of the Senators' post-season games against the Canadiens, achieving four assists in six games, although the Senators ultimately lost the series.

On April 23, 2015, Stone was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy, though he ultimately finished second in voting to Florida Panthers' defenceman Aaron Ekblad.[15] On June 25, 2015, Stone signed a three-year contract extension with the Senators worth an average annual value of $3.5 million, with former Senators general manager Bryan Murray calling Stone "one of [the team's] better players, if not one of the best".[16]

Stone appeared in most of the Senators' games during the 2015–16 season, scoring 61 points across 75 games. He led the NHL in takeaways for the second-straight season and was one of the best-performing players after the All-Star Game break.[17] On a March 30 game against the Winnipeg Jets, Dustin Byfuglien delivered a devastating bodycheck to Stone that forced Stone to immediately leave the ice for concussion tests.[18] Though Stone returned to the ice later that game, he would not appear in the remaining games of the season.[19]

During the 2016–17 season, Stone would score 54 points across 71 games and led the NHL in takeaways for the third-straight season with 96, surpassing second-placed Nick Schmaltz by 13.[20]

Despite missing much of the 2017–18 season with injuries, Stone had a successful year production-wise with 62 points in 58 games. However, unable to come to terms with the Senators on a new contract, Stone filed for arbitration and was ultimately awarded a one-year extension that would make him an unrestricted free agent the following offseason.

Vegas Golden Knights

At the 2019 trade deadline, after prolonged speculation and after he was unable to come to terms on a contract extension with the Senators, Stone was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, along with Tobias Lindberg, in exchange for Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg and a 2020 second-round pick.[21] On March 8, 2019, he officially signed an eight-year, $76 million contract extension (including $48 million in signing bonuses) to remain in Vegas.[22] Stone finished the season as the league leader in takeaways with 122. For his excellent two-way play during the regular season, Stone was nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward on April 17, 2019, along with Patrice Bergeron and Ryan O'Reilly of the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues, respectively.[23]

On April 14, 2019, Stone recorded his first career hat-trick to power the Golden Knights to a 6–3 victory against the San Jose Sharks in Game 3 of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. In doing so, Stone became the first Golden Knight player to record a hat-trick in the playoffs.[24]

The Golden Knights were eliminated by the Sharks in seven games in the first round of the aforementioned playoffs, with Stone recording 12 total points from six goals and six assists.[25]

On January 13, 2021, Stone was named the first captain in Vegas Golden Knights history.

International play

Stone at a press conference during the 2012 World Junior Championships
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
World Championships
	2016 Russia
	2019 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
	2012 Canada

Stone was selected to Canada's junior team for the 2012 World Junior Championships, held in Alberta. He began the tournament with a hat-trick and an assist in the first contest, an 8–1 win against Finland, and consequently was named Canada's player of the game.[26] After losing their semi-final against Russia, Canada defeated Finland to win the bronze medal.[27] Finishing the tournament with a team-leading seven goals and ten points,[28] Stone was named one of Canada's three best players, as selected by the coaches.

Stone was named to Team Canada at the 2016 World Championships, which won the gold medal.

On April 29, 2019, Stone was named to the Team Canada roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship held in Slovakia.[29] On May 10, 2019 he was designated an alternate captain, along with Sean Couturier.[30] He helped Canada progress through to the playoff rounds before losing the final to Finland to finish with the Silver Medal on May 26, 2019.[31] Stone finished the tournament co-leading alongside Anthony Mantha with 14 points in 10 games. He was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player by the media.[32]

Personal life

Stone was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to parents Rob and Jackie. He attended Westwood Collegiate.[33] His older brother, Michael, also plays in the NHL as a defenceman with the Calgary Flames. The two have competed against each other in the WHL as well as in the 2010 Memorial Cup, as Michael played for the Calgary Hitmen.[3] The two played against each other at the NHL level for the first time on January 31, 2015, when the Senators defeated the Arizona Coyotes 7–2.[34]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008–09	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL		56	17	22	39	27		12	1	3	4	4
2009–10	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL		39	11	17	28	25		15	1	3	4	4
2010–11	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL		71	37	69	106	28		6	1	9	10	4
2011–12	Brandon Wheat Kings	WHL		66	41	82	123	22		8	2	4	6	6
2011–12	Ottawa Senators	NHL		—	—	—	—	—		1	0	1	1	0
2012–13	Binghamton Senators	AHL		54	15	23	38	14		3	1	2	3	0
2012–13	Ottawa Senators	NHL		4	0	0	0	2		1	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Binghamton Senators	AHL		37	15	26	41	6		4	1	3	4	0
2013–14	Ottawa Senators	NHL		19	4	4	8	4		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Ottawa Senators	NHL		80	26	38	64	14		6	0	4	4	2
2015–16	Ottawa Senators	NHL		75	23	38	61	38		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Ottawa Senators	NHL		71	22	32	54	25		19	5	3	8	20
2017–18	Ottawa Senators	NHL		58	20	42	62	10		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Ottawa Senators	NHL		59	28	34	62	22		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		18	5	6	11	5		7	6	6	12	2
2019–20	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		65	21	42	63	27		20	7	10	17	6
NHL totals				449	149	236	385	147		54	18	24	42	30

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009	Canada Western	U17	4th		6	2	5	7	0
2012	Canada	WJC			6	7	3	10	2
2016	Canada	WC			10	4	6	10	6
2019	Canada	WC			10	8	6	14	0
Junior totals					12	9	8	17	2
Senior totals					20	12	12	24	6

Awards and honors

Award	Year
CHL / WHL
East First All-Star Team	2011, 2012	[5][35]
Brad Hornung Trophy	2012
CHL Sportsman of the Year	2012
NHL
NHL All-Rookie Team	2015

References

1. "2008-09 Regular Season - Rookies". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
2. Warren, Ken (November 20, 2011). "Ottawa Senators rising stars: Mark Stone". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
3. Odland, Kristen (December 26, 2011). "Mark Stone's rival brother is watching". Calgary Herald. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
4. "2010-11 Regular Season - All Players". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
5. "WHL East All-Stars and Awards". March 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011.
6. "Team Captaincy History - Brandon Wheat Kings". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
7. "Shayne Wiebe". EliteProspects.com. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
8. "Mark Stone nominated for sporting award". Winnipeg Free Press. December 27, 2011.
9. Brodie, Rob. "Stone caps brilliant junior career with WHL honour" – via nhl.com.
10. "Mark Stone joins the Ottawa Senators". TSN. April 20, 2012.
11. "Anderson steals win for Sens". Canoe.ca. April 21, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
12. Warren: Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman staying put in Ottawa, too https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/nhl/senators-extra/mark-stone-staying-put-in-ottawa-too
13. Stone, Hoffman Calder material http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/03/08/stone-hoffman-calder-material
14. Mark Stone suffers fractured wrist from P.K. Subban slash http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/mark-stone-suffers-fractured-wrist-from-p-k-subban-slash-1.3035802
15. "Panthers rookie Ekblad wins Calder Trophy". NHL. June 24, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
16. "Senators agree to terms with Stone, Zibanejad". NHL.com. June 25, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
17. Warren, Ken (March 24, 2016). "Stone provides troubled Sens with hope for future". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
18. "Mark Stone leaves game with chest injury after huge Byfuglien hit". Sportsnet. March 30, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
19. Garrioch, Bruce (April 7, 2016). "Mark Stone still smarting from Byfuglien body hit". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
20. Fraser, Callum (April 10, 2017). "By The Numbers: The Forwards". NHL.com. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
21. "Vegas Golden Knights acquire Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators". Vegas Golden Knights. February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
22. "VGK Sign Forward Mark Stone To Eight-Year Contract Extension". NHL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
23. "Selke Trophy finalists unveiled". NHL.com. April 17, 2019.
24. "Stone posts hat trick for Golden Knights in Game 3". NBCSports. April 14, 2019.
25. "2018-19 season statistics". National Hockey League. May 12, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
26. "Game Summary" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. December 26, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
27. "Games & Results". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
28. "Player Statistics By Team" (PDF). International Ice Hockey Federation. January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
29. "Hockey Canada names 22 players to 2019 IIHF World Championship roster". Hockey Canada. April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
30. "Kyle Turris named captain for Team Canada at world hockey championship - TSN.ca". TSN. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
31. "Finland defeats Canada for Gold Medal at World Championship". The Sports Network. May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
32. "IIHF - Stone named MVP". IIHF. May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
33. Senators blow out brothers, Coyotes "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
34. Garrioch, Bruce (January 8, 2015). "Stone brothers square off in the desert". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
35. "Stone caps brilliant junior career with WHL honour". Ottawa Senators. April 5, 2013. Retrieved April 5, 2013.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database