LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Vegas Golden Knights will be charging into battle as team captain Mark Stone rejoins the lineup in time for the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Stone has been out since February after having surgery on his back for the second time in less than a year.
"I think I had a really successful surgery the first time. It just unfortunately came back so I had to try to do something different," Stone said during a press conference on Monday. "I think right from the state, I felt good. It took away a lot of my pain and my symptoms."
Stone added it's been a long two years and he didn't want to miss playoffs.
"Obviously, everything had to align for me to be ready to go for the first night of the playoffs and thankfully it has," Stone said. "I took multiple MRIs, CT scans to confirm it. Over the last two weeks, it's just getting ready to be ready to play. I know my back is good. I'm mentally and physically ready to go."
Head coach Bruce Cassidy said it's good to have Stone back.
"Real important piece of our team, not only on the ice but off the ice," Cassidy said. "We didn't know how it would play out, to be perfectly honest. There were a lot of medical boxes he had to check off before he could get back in the lineup and he's been able to do that."
Cassidy said he believes defenceman Zach Whitecloud will also be good to go.
He has been out since April 8 with a lower body injury.
The Golden Knights are set to take on the Winnipeg Jets Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.
The puck drops at 6:30 p.m.
Game two will be on Thursday before the series heads to Winnipeg, which also happens to be Stone's hometown.
"I've got to convince a lot of friends to wear Knights jerseys to the game in Winnipeg," Stone said.