Golden Knights Stanley Cup handoff goes from Stone to Smith

LAS VEGAS -- Mark Stone wanted it to be one of the "Golden Misfits," and he was pretty sure which one.

As captain of the Vegas Golden Knights, Stone not only had the honor of being the first player to hoist the Stanley Cup after a 9-3 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile on Tuesday, he had the choice of who got it next.

He chose forward Reilly Smith.

After being handed the Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Stone gave it to Smith, who is one of six original Golden Knights players, or "Golden Misfits," still on Vegas' roster from its inaugural season in 2017-18.

"I knew it was going to be one of those guys," Stone said. "Reilly, with the leadership that he brings, being an (alternate) captain of this team, he was the guy I wanted to give it to."

Smith said Stone told him of his plan as time was winding down.

"He tipped me off right at the end there," Smith said. "That's an amazing moment. It's an amazing feeling. To share it with these guys, there's no one else I'd want to go through this journey with."

Smith, who was acquired in a trade with Florida on June 21, 2017, the day of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, is one of three players to have played in all 88 Stanley Cup Playoffs games in Golden Knights history. The others, forwards Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson, were the next two to receive the Cup.

Marchessault, who Vegas claimed from Florida in the expansion draft, said he was surprised he received it so early.

"Reilly kind of came to me. He's like, 'Stoney's going to give it to me, and I'll give it to you,' and I was kind of shocked a little bit because we have so many veterans in that locker room and guys who came in at different times in the past six years and have been huge for us," Marchessault said. "But it was definitely a great gesture and something that will go down as one of the classiest things I've seen. Super happy to be part of that, for sure."

Marchessault, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs, then handed the Cup to Karlsson, who was claimed from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the expansion draft.

"It's a nice gesture from our teammates that they let us kind of feel it first," Karlsson said. "It's just nice. I don't know what to say. It's amazing."

Defensemen Brayden McNabb (claimed from the Los Angeles Kings) and Shea Theodore (acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on the day of the expansion draft) were next up.

"That's just Stoney, right?" McNabb said. "He's a [heck] of a guy. A character leader, and it was pretty cool."

RELATED: [Video: FLA@VGK, Gm5: Smith on getting the Cup from Stone]

The final "Golden Misfit" to be handed the Cup was forward William Carrier, who was claimed in the expansion draft from the Buffalo Sabres.

"It's unbelievable. We've been through a lot, that misfit group, ups and downs and losing and winning," Carrier said. "And winning the last game of the year is special, right? You don't do it often."

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was given the Cup after Carrier, and he handed it off to defenseman Alec Martinez, who then gave it to goalie Jonathan Quick. Martinez and Quick each won the Stanley Cup twice with the Los Angeles Kings (2012, 2014). They were followed by Chandler Stephenson, Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev, Adin Hill, Nicolas Roy, Phil Kessel, Keegan Kolesar, Zach Whitecloud, Nicolas Hague, Michael Amadio, Brett Howden, Ben Hutton, Laurent Brossoit, Logan Thompson, Paul Cotter, Teddy Blueger, Brayden Pachal, coach Bruce Cassidy, general manager Kelly McCrimmon, owner Bill Foley, and president George McPhee.

But the talk during the on-ice celebration was all about the six original Golden Knights getting the Cup first.

"This probably doesn't happen without them," Eichel said. "They came in here in year one and created something special, not only a culture but a belief. A belief that this was here.

"I'm so happy for those guys. They're ultimate hockey players, but they're some of the best people you'll ever meet. You can go around the room and say that about everyone. It's truly a special group in there, and I'm so happy for them. Coming here, year one and getting so close (Vegas lost to the Washington Capitals in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final), tasting it and not being able to get to this, and obviously six years later, here we are. So, those guys, it's a special moment for them."