On Wednesday, Peter DeBoer said that the Vegas Golden Knights are going to name their first-ever captain next season. Being the first captain in franchise history is a big deal and the one player that has earned this honour is right-winger Mark Stone.
Since being traded in at the trade deadline in 2019, Stone has been a star in Vegas. He can produce offensively, but is also constantly in the Selke conversation. His defensive play is elite, and if he was a centerman, he would definitely have that trophy under his belt.
Stone has established himself as a leader on the team and has earned the respect of both his teammates and his coach. On Tuesday, DeBoer had this to say about his star player:
“You couldn’t ask for a better mentor or example, on the ice and I think off the ice, too. He’s all business. Even through Phase One and Two, Stoney was one of the first guys here and ready to work and set the tone.”
Captains have a lot of responsibilities. They are the face of the team when it’s not going well and have to face the media through all the ups and downs. Professionalism is key and Stone is a great candidate for the captaincy.
There are some other players that could earn the “C” as well. Jonathan Marchessault has been with the team since day one and truly embraced the “Golden Misfits” role. He said that the inaugural team were “Just a bunch of hockey players that wanted to find a home” which melted hearts and earned him a lot of fans.
Max Pacioretty already has experience as an NHL captain as he previously held the captaincy for a three-year span with the Montreal Canadiens. The veteran brings a lot of experience and has 12 seasons under his belt. He was able to navigate the media circus in Montreal which makes him capable of anything.
The Golden Knights have a great problem here as they have so many great candidates for the captaincy. This team has assembled a very strong leadership group which will be key in building a winning culture.