Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone returned to practice on Friday, but his status for the playoffs is unclear.
The captain is back after a 52-day absence, albeit in a red no-contact jersey.
The 31-year-old winger suffered a lacerated spleen on Feb. 20 and was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on March 4.
The Golden Knights were 32-18-6 with him in the lineup, but are just 11-10-2 since.
“It’s good to see him out there. He’s in a red jersey which means he’s progressing from what his return to play would be,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said on Friday, according to the NHL.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SKATING
🗿🗿🗿 pic.twitter.com/3fXix5d7bk
— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 12, 2024
But he stopped short of providing a timeline for his return to the lineup.
“I’m not sure what’s left on that (timeline). Obviously, he’s got to get clearance for his injury. We’ll see how it plays out down the road. Nice to have him back out there and see him back with the group.”
🎥 Cassidy on Mark Stone: It's great for him to be back. He's the captain, he's the leader of our team. pic.twitter.com/seHm2IQQ5J
— x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 12, 2024
Mark Stone finishes his regular season with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 56 games.
“We could sense even the energy at practice this morning in the room, just having him back in the room around the guys is huge,” defenseman Noah Hanifin said.
“He’s the leader here. He’s an unbelievable hockey player, unbelievable guy. So it’s a good sign to see him back out there with us.”
The Golden Knights will face the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Stone might not be ready for Game 1, but the rest of the team will be.
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