Lawless: Stone Sets the Tone for VGK Culture

In the most important game in Vegas Golden Knights hockey history, Mark Stone delivered and made this city champions. A hat trick on the grandest of stages and a dressing room declaration which will echo in hockey history forever.

"We're the greatest hockey team in the world," screamed Stone, as he hefted the Stanley Cup over his head one more time while his teammates howled and hosed him with champagne.

Captains are supposed to lead and deliver. Stone has done that repeatedly, and with the stroke of a pen today, he'll have two more in Vegas to extend his legacy.

Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon announced this morning that Stone has signed a two-year extension which will kick in after this season and pay him an average annual value of $9 million.

The 34-year-old from Winnipeg, Manitoba will now have the opportunity to retire with the team he led to a Stanley Cup in 2023.

McCrimmon has made some huge acquisitions in his time running the Golden Knights but none bigger than the trade which pried Stone from the Ottawa Senators and delivered him to Vegas.

Along with deals that brought Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo to the Golden Knights, the Stone deal is one of ultimate magnitude. The argument can be made that without any of these three deals, Vegas doesn't win the Stanley Cup in 2023.

And while Eichel is the best player in VGK history, to date, Stone has been the most impactful. The combination of his play and leadership make him the captain and that designation carries weight.

Stone plays with emotion and always puts the team first. The culture in Vegas centers around winning. In Stone's tenure here, the Golden Knights have fostered a happy and welcoming dressing room and that begins with the captain.

It can be said that Stone is the culture in Vegas rather than simply understanding it. He sets the tone and the standard. He's the leader and he's one of the best in the NHL.

This season will be his last of an eight-year deal with an AAV of $9.5 million. He's coming off one of the best seasons of his career, tying his career high during the 2025-26 regular season with 73 points (28 G, 45 A) in 60 contests. His 1.22 points per game last season was the highest in his 14-year career and ranked 11th among all NHL skaters. 

At 5v5 last season, Stone was dominant:

+19 in goals (best of his career)
+112 in chances (2nd best of his career, best was his first full season as a VGK)
+55 in HD (t-2nd best of his career)

At 5v5 since joining VGK:

312-213 goal differential (+99)
+597 in scoring chances
+305 in HD chances

He's +109 in even-strength goals over that time, 17th in the NHL

Stone has appeared in 400 regular-season games for the Golden Knights after being acquired from the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 25, 2019. Since then, his 396 points (136 G, 260 A) and +112 rating both rank first among all Golden Knights. Stone also leads his team in goals (37) and points (118) on the power play, as well as game-winning goals (27) and takeaways (401) since he arrived in Vegas. 

Stone's 401 takeaways since starting with the club place him first among all NHL skaters in takeaways per game (1.00). He has finished as a Selke Trophy finalist on two occasions with the Golden Knights (2019, 2021), nominated for the award given annually to the NHL forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.

Leadership is often unquantifiable. You know you need it but how much and at what cost?

With Stone as captain, the Golden Knights have become one of the most dangerous teams in the NHL. He's led them to the Stanley Cup Final in two of the last four seasons. 

He has played injured and endured surgeries and rehab that would send most players into retirement. His love for the game is infectious and palpable.

Someday the Golden Knights will have to move forward without Stone, but that's a topic for another day. The captain is sticking around. It's set in Stone.