After the team posed for its annual team photo, gold jerseys were exchanged for practice jerseys as Bruce Cassidy led his group through its first true preparations ahead of Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Among the participants were Zach Whitecloud and Mark Stone. Whitecloud missed the final two games of the regular season and Stone hasn't appeared in a game since Jan. 12 against the Florida Panthers. Head Coach Bruce Cassidy addressed the media after practice and talked about the importance of having them participate in a full practice as their availability for the playoffs is continually evaluated.
"We wanted to practice them on the line or defensive pair they'd play in," Cassidy said of Stone and Whitecloud.
Stone's return is one that's still uncertain from a timing perspective, but Cassidy said having Stone back "in the soup" is something positive for the team.
"We want to get him some reps with guys he's comfortable with and see where it leads us. No timeline yet on him, but he is cleared for contact.
Cassidy guided the Golden Knights to the playoffs in his first season with the team after Vegas missed the postseason in 2021-22 for the first time in franchise history. The matchup with the Jets comes six years after the Golden Knights eliminated Winnipeg in five games in the 2018 Western Conference Final to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Brayden McNabb, who has been a Golden Knight since the day of the Expansion Draft in 2017, is gearing up for his fifth postseason run with the team. The veteran defenseman said the group will lean on depth and experience to enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the right mindset.
"Everyone knows how the playoffs are," McNabb said. "It doesn't matter who you're playing. It's a different game, the intensity is higher. It's a matter of doing what we did successfully during the season and translating into the playoffs."
Laurent Brossoit, who started Vegas' final four games of the regular season en route to the Pacific Division title, is poised to face his former team in the postseason after spending three seasons with Winnipeg. Though Cassidy hasn't announced the Game 1 starting goalie yet, Brossoit is taking things one day at a time heading into the most important time of the year.
"I'm extremely excited," Brossoit said. "When you're growing up, you not only want to play in this league, you want to be the guy. Then you don't only want to be the guy, you want to be the guy on a team that's in the playoffs and has a good chance of winning like this. It's an honor for me to be the guy if I am the guy."
The Golden Knights get back to work Sunday morning at City National Arena for an optional practice at 10:30 a.m. All team practices are free and open to the public and timing will be confirmed each morning on the official Vegas Golden Knights Twitter account.
