Mark Stone is named the first captain in Golden Knights history

The Vegas Golden Knights made it official on Wednesday, naming forward Mark Stone as the franchise’s first ever captain. 

Stone came to Vegas after he was moved at the Feb. 25, 2019 trade deadline in which the Senators got a package including prospect Erik Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg and a 2020 second-round pick to Ottawa in return. He was promptly signed to an eight-year contract extension, which carries an AAV of $9.5 million and will keep Stone in Sin City through the 2026-27 season.

And now, as a captain. 

The 28-year-old forward is entering his second full season and third overall with the team.

During their first three seasons in the National Hockey League, the Golden Knights did not designate an official captain, but did count on several players acting as alternates.

With the Detroit Red Wings naming Dylan Larkin as their captain earlier today, the New Jersey, New York Rangers and Senators are the only NHL teams currently without a captain.

Last season, Stone finished second behind Max Pacioretty with 63 points in 65 games and posted his sixth straight 20-goal season. In the playoffs, Stone added seven goals and 17 points in 20 games to help the Knights reach the Western Conference Final. He finished second in the voting for the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward after the 2018-19 season and was fifth last season.

Stone has totaled 26 goals and 74 points in 83 games with the Knights and 385 points (149 goals, 236 assists) in 449 NHL games. He has showed in Vegas, and when he was an alternate captain for the Senators in 2017, great signs of leadership. He was an obvious choice for the Knights as their first captain in franchise history.