Hard work can take a hockey player a long way. Just ask Stoner.

The defenseman may not be the fastest skater in the game and he likely will not win any skill competitions. But the perseverance of the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Stoner, combined with a motor that seems to never stop running, has resulted in a solid career. Stoner's size makes him a valuable crease-clearing force and, when necessary, an intimidating presence on the ice.

A third-round pick (No. 79) of the Minnesota Wild in the 2004 NHL Draft, Stoner spent four-plus seasons with Houston in the American Hockey League before making his NHL debut on Dec. 17, 2009 against the Montreal Canadiens.

Stoner's second game featured his first NHL point, an assist against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 19, 2009. Two nights later, Stoner registered another assist at home against the Colorado Avalanche to go along with his first fighting major in the NHL. But Stoner played only eight games before suffering a sports hernia that sidelined him for the rest of the 2009-10 season.

Still a rookie for the 2010-11 season, Stoner's first career goal on Jan. 4, 2011 stood up as the game-winner in a 1-0 win against the New Jersey Devils. He finished the season leading the Wild with a plus-5 rating and his 96 penalty minutes ranked third.

A variety of injuries limited Stoner to 51 games in the 2011-12 season, but he was still selected as Minnesota's nominee for the Masterton Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

After finishing third on the Wild with 87 hits and tied for third with 57 blocks during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, Stoner made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut in Game 1 of Minnesota's first-round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. He also scored his first NHL playoff point with an assist on the Wild's first postseason goal of the playoffs.

The physical side to Stoner's game continued to develop in 2013-14 and he led the team with 84 penalty minutes and was first among Wild defensemen with 99 hits. He scored his first playoff goal on May 2, 2014 in Game 1 of Minnesota's second-round series with Chicago.

On July 1, 2014, Anaheim signed Stoner to a four-year contract. That year Stoner led Ducks defensemen with 128 hits and tied for the team lead with eight fighting majors. In the 2015 playoffs, Stoner finished second on the team with 60 hits while appearing in all 16 games of Anaheim's run to the Western Conference Finals.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WHL West Second All-Star Team (2005)
• Signed as a free agent by Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), November 29, 2012.
• Signed as a free agent by Anaheim, July 1, 2014.
• Claimed by Vegas from Anaheim in Expansion Draft, June 21, 2017.