Mark Stone had already done plenty before the game in Seattle turned personal.
The Vegas Golden Knights were rolling at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday, well in control in the third period of a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Stone had picked up a shorthanded goal, added an assist and hit the 400-point mark with Vegas. That alone would have made for a strong night from the captain.
But the evening took a sharp turn after Victor Olofsson, who had scored twice, was hit and left the game. Stone said afterward he didn't like the hit, and things grew more heated from there with Brandon Montour.
"He had gone on to say some things about our team that I didn't like," Stone said. "I'm not gonna fight too many five-on-threes, but just didn't like some of the things he was saying about our team, and that's what led to it."
Stone dropped the gloves, finishing off a Gordie Howe hat trick with the goal, the assist and the fight all in the same night.
That was the part his teammates latched onto.
"He's a hell of a captain, just a hell of a leader," Rasmus Andersson said. "He's willing to do all the dirty stuff, too."
Jack Eichel kept it even shorter.
"He's our leader as far as the group goes," Eichel said. "Tons of credit to Stoney. We love seeing that."
The response didn’t stop with Stone. Later in the third period, Ryan Winterton hit Trevor Connelly, and Marc Gatcomb answered by fighting Winterton. What had been a one-sided scoreboard situation became a night where Vegas made its message clear: everyone stands up for everyone else.
Coach Ryan Craig connected Stone’s fight to the broader tone inside the room.
"Part of the reason he wears the letter he wears on his chest," Craig said. "He stepped up to the challenge there and answered the bell, and you can see the reaction from our group."
Craig also pointed to what that kind of moment can mean for a team.
"It helps solidify the togetherness of our group," Craig said. "Sticking together, standing up for each other. That's just kind of the way the game went today, but good teams do that."
Stone has never been the kind of player defined by speed or flash. His game is built on detail, anticipation and competitiveness, and the production has followed anyway.
Reaching 400 points as a Golden Knight was another reminder of how much he has given Vegas since arriving. The fight, though, was the clearest snapshot of why he wears the “C.”
"We're up five-one on a five-on-three," Andersson said. "It just says a lot about him. He's willing to do all the dirty stuff, too."
Stone put it simply when he explained what it all meant.
"This is a close team," he said. "There's a reason why we have success.
It's not just because we have good players. It's because we stick together."
On a night that added another offensive milestone to his resume, Stone’s most important moment came in the rough stuff.
In Other News...
Victor Olofsson Gives Golden Knights Fans A New Reason To Worry
Victor Olofsson keeps showing why the Golden Knights brought him back, and why his start has already become one of the more intriguing early developments around the team. In Thursdays 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken, he scored twice and now leads Vegas in goals through four games, a sharp opening for a player trying to settle back into a familiar setting after last seasons stops in Colorado and Calgary.
For a team that has leaned on depth and balance in the past, Olofssons quick finish has at least hinted at another layer to the offense. His early production has also revived the bigger conversation around whether this is a short burst or the beginning of a much more meaningful role, which is exactly the kind of question that can linger when a scorer gets hot this fast. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Big Win Came With A New Injury Concern
The Golden Knights left Seattle with another convincing road win, rolling past the Kraken 6-2 at Climate Pledge Arena and staying unbeaten in regulation at the building. Mark Stone helped power the night with the NHLs first Gordie Howe Hat Trick of the 2026-27 season, piling up two goals, an assist and a fight in a game that had plenty of edge for Vegas.
The mood shifted late when Kraken forward Ben Meyers boarded Victor Olofsson, leaving the Golden Knights with a fresh injury concern to monitor after an otherwise strong showing. Meyers was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct, and while Vegas kept control on the scoreboard, the bigger question coming out of the trip now centers on Olofssons status. [Read more 🡒]
Kraken Suddenly Face A Blue Line Concern After Physical Loss
Ryan Lindgrens night ended early after a hit from behind forced the Seattle defenseman out with an upper-body injury, adding another layer of concern to a Kraken group already trying to absorb the physical toll of a hard game. The sequence also left Vegas with its own injury issue, as forward Victor Olofsson was hurt after being boarded by a Seattle player, turning a chippy matchup into one with potential ripple effects for both clubs.
For a Golden Knights team that knows how quickly a lineup can be tested over the course of a road swing, the aftermath matters almost as much as the result. Seattle now has to sort through a blue line situation that was already under pressure, while the broader injury picture across the teams involved could shape how both sides approach their next games. [Read more 🡒]