There is a lot to like about Mark Stone the hockey player. There’s more to like about the leader and person.
Let’s get it immediately out of the way. Mark Stone should be a member of Team Canada at the Olympics in Milan. On merit, on experience, on level of game right now, on leadership, on competitiveness, on versatility and on his knack to do things that help a team win.
And if all that isn’t enough, Stone’s answer on what he has to offer Team Canada should stop GM Doug Armstrong in his tracks. He won’t hear it from anyone else.
“I can kind of play anywhere in your lineup. And this sounds stupid, but I can go in and out of your lineup too,” said Stone. “I've unfortunately gotten used to missing games and being able to jump back in. So, I think that helps too. There are 14 forwards going over there, and only 12 can play. The unfortunate reality of hockey is there could be injuries. So, I think I can play up and down your lineup. I think I can kill penalties, I think I can be on your power play. Like I said, it sounds dumb, but I think I can go in and out of your lineup.”
Stone isn’t volunteering to be an extra but if that’s what gets him to Italy, sign him up.
“No, but if that's where it comes, I'd rather be the 14th forward in Milan than be on a beach in the Bahamas. So, I think that helps,” Stone said. “I think my game translates well to whoever I play with. I think I can complement anyone and I think I can help you. I think I do a lot of things for a hockey team that doesn't always show up on the scoreboard.”
On the scoreboard – Stone is fantastic.
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2025-26:*
- Stone ranks 2nd in the NHL this season in points/game at 1.60
- Among forwards with 50+ minutes played on the powerplay, he ranks 1st in points/60 at 12.66, 1st in assists/60 at 9.2. While on the ice on the power play, he ranks 2nd (out of 179) this season in on-ice goals for/60 at 16.11 He’s first in on-ice xGF/60 at 13.9 xGF/60. Vegas averages 3.03 scoring chances per 2 minutes of power-play time that Stone is on the ice for, and 1.53 high danger per 2 minutes, both the best marks in the NHL.
- Among forwards with 20+ minutes on the penalty kill, he ranks 8th (out of 186) in shots allowed, averaging just 1.08 shots allowed per 2 minutes he’s on the kill.
Since the 2022 Winter Olympics:
- Big Time Production: Stone ranks 6th among Canadian forwards in points/game at 1.01 (minimum 150 GP), behind only McDavid, MacKinnon, Marner, Crosby and Point. Four of those six players have already been named to Team Canada. Marner and Stone are the only ones that haven’t yet.
- Big Game Experience: Stone has played 39 playoff games since the last Olympics and averaged 19:12 in TOI per game over those games. Only six Canadian forwards have played more playoff games over that time while averaging 19+ minutes per game (Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, Hyman, Jarvis). Stone’s the only one among them to captain a team to a Stanley Cup.
- Defensive Prowess: Among Canadian forwards since 2022, Stone ranks 1st in takeaways/60 with 2.64 (Marner is 2nd at 2.53)
- Special Teams Versatility: There are three Canadian forwards since 2022 that have played at least 2 minutes on the powerplay per game, 1 minute on the penalty kill per game while averaging at least 0.25 points/game on the powerplay and 1.00 points/game overall:
- Mitch Marner (1.22 points/game, 3:19 PP TOI, 2:02 SH TOI, 0.40 PP points/game)
- Mark Stone (1.01 points/game, 3:04 PP TOI, 1:20 SH TOI, 0.33 PP points/game)
- Robert Thomas (1.00 points/game, 2:51 PP TOI, 1:27 SH TOI, 0.30 PP points/game)
Stone has missed 16 games this season due to injury. In the 15 games he has played he has collected points in all but one and sits with six goals and 18 assists for 24 points.
“I think I've played well. I definitely like where my game is at. I think I've done what I can. But I understand that this isn’t an easy team to make. There are younger players who are playing at a high level, there are older players who are playing at a high level, and then you've got your guys who are in the prime of their careers who are obviously playing at a high level,” Stone said. “I feel like my game is in a good spot. Unfortunate timing to get injured, of course, but since I've been back, I feel like I've played pretty well. The team has played well. Obviously, I’d do anything to be on that team, there are 14 forwards. Just to get on that roster would be awesome. But like I said, the depth of Hockey Canada with the players that are playing at such a high impact makes it tough. But I definitely feel like I've played some pretty good hockey.”
Everyone has their own reason to play for their country. Some players haven’t won in the NHL and want a chance to cap a career. Stone has won a Stanley Cup and a best-on-best title at the 4Nations Face-Off.
“Winning the Stanley Cup is definitely the biggest accomplishment of my life as far as hockey goes. But the 4Nations experience could be the best hockey experience I've ever had. Just being around the guys, playing against three of the best hockey countries in the world. Some of the best hockey ever played, in my opinion, might be the best hockey ever played. Those ten days of hockey were incredible to watch. Maybe there was one game that was decided by more than a couple of goals, they were all such good hockey games,” Stone said. “Just being in that environment was something I'll never forget. I just really did enjoy it. Got to be around players that I looked up to. Got to be around players that I love to watch play on a nightly basis. It was a crazy experience that I'll always remember. Like I said, if I do get the opportunity to go to the Olympics, I'll be excited for that experience as well.”
Stone has pulled on a Team Canada jersey many times dating back to his teenage years. But he says it never gets old.
“I mean, it’s hard to explain, right? It's one thing to play for Canada, it's another to play in the best-on-best tournaments. I've played World Juniors, I've played World Championships. It was truly an honor to be a part of those teams, but being at the best-on-best tournament was different. Like I said, it's rare that you can get McKinnon, McDavid, Makar, Crosby. And you look at other teams like with Eichel and Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers. It's not very often you get all those guys in a room together for an extended period of time. So, I mean, All-Star games you do, but it's different. You're not really coming together as a team,” said Stone. “That was probably the coolest thing, was trying to get everyone to come together as a team in such a short time, I think we had two practices and we were full go. You see all these guys, I don't know how many captains were on the team, but there were tons. And you just see the way that a team can come together to try and win something for their country. I think it's one thing being from Canada, but you look at the other countries now, it's the same pride. You look at the Americans, how far they've come as a hockey nation. The Swedes have always been there, same with the Finns, the Czechs, all the countries. But in the U.S., you're starting to see more and more kids play hockey, which I'm proud of. Because I play in a city, which wasn't a hockey market, and have watched it become a hockey market. So, I'm proud of it, but they are an inch and a little closer. So, it's definitely a pride thing for us to keep being at the top of the hockey world.”
