‘It hurts to win:’ How the unbreakable Mark Stone has led Vegas to within a game of the Stanley Cup
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Greg Wyshynski, ESPN
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Vegas Golden Knights have been spotted wearing T-shirts during the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs with the phrase “It Hurts To Win” printed on them.
“Whatever we’ve got to do at this time of year, we’ve got to do it,” forward Nicolas Roy said. “If we’ve got to take a hit. If we’ve got to block a shot.”
Seated next to Roy was Mark Stone, the Golden Knights’ captain.
He has hurt. And they have won.
Like in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, when an overly amped up Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars cross-checked Stone in the jaw while he was flat on the ice, earning Benn a game misconduct and a two-game suspension.
“It didn’t feel good,” Stone said. “I think I was more a little bit surprised. It was my first shift of the game. I didn’t expect to get stomped on like that.”
0:44
Jamie Benn ejected after 5-minute major penalty
Jamie Benn is ejected early in Game 3 after a five-minute major for cross-checking.
Vegas would score three times in the first period of that game to chase goalie Jake Oettinger, taking a 3-0 series lead and eventually winning the series in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Prior to that, multiple Edmonton Oilers played amateur chiropractor on Stone’s surgically repaired back during the second round, hitting him with their bodies and their sticks at every opportunity.
“I mean, what do you expect, right?” Stone said. “I mean it’s pretty obvious that I had another back surgery. But I wouldn’t feel comfortable playing if I was putting myself at risk. If they want to do that, they can do that. It’s fine. It is what it is.”
It hurt. The Golden Knights won.
“He’s kind of the heart of the team,” Vegas winger Jonathan Marchessault said. “He’s such a calm presence out on the ice and he makes everyone look better out there. When he talks, everybody listens. I think he gained that respect from all of us.”
The Golden Knights are now one win over the Florida Panthers away from commissioner Gary Bettman calling Stone over to raise the Stanley Cup. Which is a welcome change from a few months ago, when he couldn’t really lift anything following back surgery.
His second back surgery. In less than nine months.
“I was going to do whatever it took to get back for the playoffs,” Stone said. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to be in Game 1 or Game 5 or Game 10. I was going to do whatever it took to get back.”
Stone knew there was something special about this group. He could sense it on the ice as much as he could glimpse it in the standings.
“We were in first place when I got hurt,” he said. “I knew we had a good team and I wanted to be part of it. Especially when the team kept winning. I wanted to be back there with the guys. Long, hard days. But you just put your head down and you get going.”
STONE’S BACK ISSUES were there in the 2021 playoffs and the offseason. They limited him to 37 games in the 2021-22 season. He went out of the lineup Feb. 9, and then returned April 12 in a desperate effort to get Vegas to the playoffs. But he only managed a goal and an assist in nine games. He was clearly laboring.
In May 2022, Stone underwent a lumbar discectomy.
He was back for the start of the 2022-23 season and played until Jan. 12 when he suffered a back injury against the Panthers. He hoped to avoid surgery and rehab back to health. But he suffered a setback. The decision became clear: Any chance of playing in the postseason would rest on undergoing another surgery as soon as possible.
On Jan. 31, 2023, Stone underwent successful back surgery performed by Dr. Chad Prusmack in Denver. Prusmack previously performed Vegas center Jack Eichel‘s artificial disc replacement surgery.
Then the work began.
“I went to the gym the day after the surgery with the surgeon. Basically got going right away,” Stone said. “I tried to cut out the [rehabilitation] clock where I was basically sitting around, doing nothing. I got going right away.”
Stone did a lot of walking. He was able to do core exercises. He said his goal at that point was to “strengthen the little muscles, I guess.”
Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy would see Stone plenty during his injury rehab. The Golden Knights coaches would hit the gym at their practice facility early in the morning. Often times, Stone would already be there.
“What I saw every day was a captain that was still in the room and talking to players and giving feedback,” Cassidy said. “It’s just good to have a guy around like that because when you have surgery like that and you don’t see him, it’s like out of sight, out of mind, right?”
Knights defenseman Alec Martinez said it was still hard on Stone. Being around the team wasn’t the same as being on the ice.
“When you’re not in the lineup and you’re hurt, you don’t feel like you’re part of the team,” he said. “You’ve got a different schedule. You kind of just see guys passing, just like ships in the night. You just feel disconnected. You’re out on inside jokes in the room. The fun part of it. So yeah, it’s a tough spot to be in.”
Especially when you’re the captain.
“He’s the biggest leader in this room,” Martinez said. “Being out for an extended period of time really takes a toll on you mentally.”
0:38
Mark Stone’s power-play goal ties it up for Vegas
Mark Stone scores on the power play as the Golden Knights tie it up 1-1 vs. the Panthers.
TWO BACK SURGERIES less than nine months apart sparked speculation in NHL circles about Stone’s future. Armchair physicians saw a second surgery as a harbinger of something more chronic.
Could he be the same player that he was? Could he continue to play?
“These are not life-threatening injuries. But they can be career-ending and they can frequently be quite painful and debilitating,” Dr. Caleb Pinegar of Crovetti Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine told Ken Boehlke of SinBin.net, a Golden Knights blog. “When does that point come? The big question I have now is if he tweaks his back again, do they encourage him to hang it up? Because you don’t want to put a young guy through three back surgeries.”
Those were the whispers. But was Stone ever worried about his career?
“No,” he said.
Was that just Stone the competitor talking louder than Stone the realist?
“No, I mean, I’ve seen plenty of doctors in the last three years,” Stone said. “I guess I’ve got a lot of confidence in Dr. Prusmack, with seeing what Jack went through and the success that he’s had with that surgeon. That maybe gave me a little bit of confidence. But no, I never was worried.”
He said people were misreading the necessity for multiple back surgeries.
“You talk to a lot of guys, they don’t usually just get one back surgery,” he said. “They usually get two, because as much as you think you know the problem, sometimes you don’t. And unfortunately it didn’t work the first time, but saw a different surgeon, couple other of minor things done. And I feel great.”
How much better does Stone feel now?
“The crazy thing is that I felt pretty good during the season,” he said with a laugh. “It was an unfortunate incident. Pretty minimal play that took me out for the remainder of the season. But I was feeling good most of the season and I feel good now.”
When, exactly, Stone felt good again has been a contentious point for opposing teams’ fans.
Stone makes $9.5 million against the salary cap. That money was moved to long-term injured reserve when he had his back surgery. The open cap space helped the Knights add forwards Ivan Barbashev and Teddy Blueger as well as goalie Jonathan Quick at the trade deadline.
Stone was activated from injured reserve in time for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets on April 18 — five days after he missed the finale of their regular season, a.k.a. the last game in which they had to worry about being cap-compliant.
But the captain was back. And the Golden Knights became a much tougher team to play against.
0:43
Mark Stone’s goal doubles the Golden Knights’ lead
Mark Stone finds the back of net as the Golden Knights extend their lead to 2-0.
STONE HAS PLAYED 584 games with the Golden Knights and the Ottawa Senators, who traded him to Vegas in 2019. He has 514 points in those games, including 196 goals.
He has 31 goals and 71 points in 94 career playoff games, including eight goals and 13 assists through 21 games in the 2023 postseason.
But it’s his defensive prowess that distinguishes him as an NHL star, having twice been nominated for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. That’s remarkable for a winger — only centers have won the award since 2003.
Cassidy coached one of those centers with the Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron, who has won the Selke a record five times.
“I see Stoney’s stick and ability to read plays and be a step ahead, and that’s where he’s most like Bergeron,” the coach said. “He knows where the puck’s going. He seems to have that sense to put out fires because of that.”
Cassidy noted another similarity between Bergeron and Stone: The limitations in their abilities. “They’re not the fastest guys on the ice,” he said. “I think they’ve played this way their whole life and that’s why it’s second nature.”
Marchessault agreed.
“He’s not an outrageous skater or our shooter or a great passer, but it’s his thinking of the game that’s better than everybody else,” he said. “He’s consistent, and that’s probably one of the best of the most positive things to have as a hockey player.”
Eichel has been praised as a 200-foot player in the 2023 playoffs, after years of being seen as one-dimensional. He said he’s taken some inspiration from watching Stone, and facing him in scrimmages.
“When you play against him in training camp, he’s always getting his stick on the puck and pickpocketing you and s—,” he said. “So I imagine for the opposing team, it’s a pain.”
Eichel said it’s difficult to emulate what Stone does defensively, because it comes so naturally to him. Instead, it’s been Stone’s relentless competitiveness that’s been imprinted on him since he arrived in Vegas.
“He’s not really a preacher of any sorts, but you can learn a lot from him and his mindset every day,” Eichel said. “He’s a great leader. He’s a guy that other people gravitate towards. Just being around him for a short amount of time, you realize right away why he’s the captain here.”
Stone has endured, through the surgeries and the rehabs and the sticks to the back and the neck. With just one more win, it’ll all have been worth it.
He hurt. They win.
We’re back! It’s the race that stops the nation and, in 2025, it’s shaping to be another classic. Vauban returns for a third attempt under a new camp, alongside former stablemate Absurde. Champion trainer Chris Waller dominates the field with five runners, while history will be made with the first-ever American-trained horse taking part. Half Yours is the favourite and will fly the flag for the locals.
But outside of that, there are plenty more races to sink your teeth into. Not sure who to back? Not to worry, as we take you through the best selections and some value runners in Tuesday’s 10-race card at the glorious Flemington racecourse.
TAB fixed odds correct as of 9am AEDT, 3rd November, 2025 (please visit tab.com.au for the latest).
RACE 1 – Darley Maribyrnong Plate (1000m), 10:45am
With only three of the 14 runners having race experience and the track set to be rain-affected, this is a tough way to kick off Cup Day. On exposed form, Tornado Valley was held up at a key stage in the Debutant Stakes but hit the line strongly once clear behind Free Flying. Among the unraced brigade, Carnevale and Diameter have shown glimpses in jump outs and could be anything on debut, while Brazen Dechambeau displayed a nice turn of foot when asked for an effort in his Cranbourne jumpout.
Top selections:
2. Tornado Valley ($7.00)
3. Brazen Dechambeau ($7.00)
5. Diameter ($6.00)
4. Carnevale ($4.80)
8. Free Flying ($11.00)
RACE 2 – MA Services Grand Handicap (2000m), 11:20am
It’s hard to go past Makdane, who’s in good form, maps nicely from barrier 1, and should handle the soft ground. Brave Miss will make her own luck up on speed, her last-start win at Cranbourne looks strong, and she finished third behind She’s A Hustler prior to that, who franked the form with a Group 3 Tesio Stakes win on Cox Plate Day. Party Crasher can be forgiven for the first-up run and I expect him to improve rising in distance second-up.
Top selections:
3. Makdane ($3.90)
7. Brave Miss ($6.50)
10. Party Crasher ($7.00)
14. Giggenbach ($7.50)
RACE 3 – TAB Trophy (1800m), 12:00pm
There looks to be a fair bit of value here. I’ve got Snitz Sonic on top, he’s been the strongest late in both of his runs and couldn’t have been more emphatic in his Echuca win. Arabian Prince was unlucky not to get a start in the 2500m Victoria Derby but will instead race at 1800m, he did seem to peak on his run late in the Caulfield Classic but profiles to be a contender here. Champagne Hero and Different Gravy both look like they have a bit to offer, and Island Boy looks a sneaky chance at big odds.
Top selections:
8. Snitz Sonic ($11.00)
9. Arabian Prince ($3.80)
3. Champagne Hero ($4.60)
4. Different Gravy ($4.60)
6. Island Boy ($41.00)
READ: 2025 Melbourne Cup field – complete guide
RACE 4 – The Schweppervescence Plate (1000m), 12:40pm
Bold Secret is having his third start for Phillip Stokes and looks to have plenty of upside. He was strong late off a slow tempo on debut, clocking the fastest final 200m of the race, before enduring a tough run wide without cover at The Valley. Drawn to get a softer run this time. Pallaton has been tackling stronger company than this, gets James McDonald on, and is a clear danger. As it Street Artist who is flying with consecutive wins for Team Freedman and warrants respect again.
Top selections:
9. Bold Secret ($9.00)
4. Street Artist ($4.40)
2. Pallaton ($2.70)
1. Aleppo Pine ($7.50)
RACE 5 – Australian Heritage Cup (2800m), 1:20pm
Golden Century looks ready to step up to 2800m and he’s a big-striding horse who will appreciate the big Flemington track over the tighter Caulfield circuit, where he was back in the field but closed off well last time out. Drops sharply in weight from that and looks a major player with Joao Moreira aboard. Don Diego De Vega was solid hitting the line for fourth in the Bendigo Cup, and while his Randwick run prior was below par, he hasn’t been suited by the slow tempos in recent starts. Draws kindly and handles soft ground.
Top selections:
10. Golden Century ($4.80)
3. Don Diego De Vega ($8.50)
9. Litzdeel ($4.40)
8. Arugamama ($6.50)
RACE 6 – Kirin Ichiban Plate (1800m), 1:55pm
Saint George was the eye-catcher first-up at Seymour and looks set to take big improvement from that run. The long Flemington straight plays perfectly to his strengths and, at his best, he’s more than capable of winning a race like this. Apulia was outstanding resuming after a year off, storming home from the back of the field to win and should only be fitter here. Athanatos is in terrific form this prep and his Toorak Handicap effort behind the likes of Leica Lucy, Evaporate, and Transatlantic reads well for this grade. The only query is how he handles the likely wet track.
Top selections:
5. Saint George ($4.40)
2. Apulia ($6.50)
6. Athanatos ($5.00)
3. Kingswood ($4.60)
RACE 7 – Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), 3:00pm
Once again, the Caulfield Cup looms as the key form reference, and it’s a race that produced several eye-catching performances. You couldn’t miss the big grey Presage Nocturne charging down the outside there. The French import is certain to improve off that run and should relish the step to 3200m at Flemington. He handles rain-affected ground, and while others may feel the pinch late, he’s proven to be able to power through the line at the end of a staying trip.
Valiant King was another standout from that race and is absolutely flying this campaign. A completely different horse this prep with the blinkers on, he was brilliant winning the Bart Cummings before unleashing the fastest closing splits in the Caulfield Cup. He gets in with a nice weight and maps for a soft run. As does Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours who deserves favouritism despite being up for a long campaign which began in a BM64 back in March. Tony and Calvin McEvoy have managed him superbly and set him to peak in the 2400m race so as much as the Melbourne Cup appears a bit of an afterthought, his wet-track ability, light weight and good draw makes him a winning chance again. Absurde returns for a third attempt at the Cup and was travelling well before being blocked for a run at his Caulfield tune-up. He was luckless last year when held up multiple times in the straight, but we know he stays, handles soft going, and maps ideally from gate four.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa is this year’s big boom horse. The Irish raider comes off wins in both the Irish St Leger and Curragh Cup and clearly brings elite European form. He’s earned the top weight (59kg) and history says that’s a brutal task, especially over two miles on rain-affected ground from a wide draw, but class can often defy history, and he has that in spades. The main challenge will be conceding weight to several in-form, lightly-weighted rivals.
Lightly-raced northern hemisphere three-year-old Furthur has had just eight starts and beats the handicapper with 52kg. He fits the successful profile of past winners like Rekindling and Cross Counter, as well as desperately-unlucky 2019 runner Il Paradiso. He displayed a devastating turn of foot when winning the Geoffrey Freer Stakes over 2715m two starts back, a race that has been a solid guide for the Melbourne Cup in past years. There’s a wet track query with him but he’s a good enough price to find out if he can handle it.
Buckaroo brings class and proven Group 1 Australian weight-for-age form, but the 3200m remains a genuine query and he’ll need a perfect ride to figure. German stayer Flatten The Curve is an interesting roughie in red-hot form winning six of his past seven races, and while the strength of that form is hard to line up, he’s a genuine two-miler and could surprise at decent odds. And Vauban — now under the care of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott — while plain in the Caulfield Cup, is back on a more suitable Flemington track, gets rain-affected going, has drawn in barrier two with Blake Shinn on, and is more than capable of bouncing back.
Top selections:
6. Presage Nocturne ($9.00)
24. Valiant King ($8.50)
1. Al Riffa ($9.00)
9. Absurde ($18.00)
14. Half Yours ($7.00)
Best roughie:
17. Furthur ($26.00)
READ: 2025 Melbourne Cup field – complete guide
RACE 8 – The Amanda Elliott (1400m), 3:50pm
Ludlum was luckless on debut behind Tres Magnifique before winning a maiden at Seymour, doing it tough three wide without cover but still proving too strong. Navy Pilot was a second-up winner powering past key rival Bacash, and while he didn’t see out the mile in the Caulfield Guineas, the drop back to 1400m looks ideal. Bacash continues to hold his form well, he’s a proven wet tracker and was a dominant winner at this trip last start at Caulfield. Burma Star has won in heavy conditions and has been hitting the line well. This is tougher but he’s right in the mix.
Top selections:
15. Ludlum ($5.00)
2. Navy Pilot ($6.50)
4. Bacash ($5.50)
8. Burma Star ($9.00)
RACE 9 – The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m), 4:35pm
Surfin’ Bird was an arrogant winner at Caulfield last start, surging past her rivals to win by four lengths despite covering extra ground throughout, and she did it in very quick time. She’s clearly the one to beat and might simply be too good again. Pondalowie looks terrific value though as an each-way play. She’s improved with every run this prep, running the fastest last 200m at Group 2 level third-up before again closing strongly in the Vase behind Oh Too Good. She tends to get back in her races but has a blistering turn of foot and runs well at Flemington.
Top selections:
14. Pondalowie ($17.00)
15. Surfin’ Bird ($2.60)
10. Gumdrops ($7.50)
5. Bossy Nic ($13.00)
RACE 10 – Channel 9 Trophy (1400m), 5:15pm
Sabaj had no luck in the Silver Eagle. He was held up until the 100m and should have finished a lot closer to the classy Linebacker at Randwick. That’s elite form and with clear running he should be too good for these. I do have a of time for Sunshineinmypocket who had excuses last start behind Ndola. He was able to close off well with the fastest final furlong of the race and I think he can turn the tables on the winner.
Top selections:
8. Sabaj ($2.70)
7. Sunshineinmypocket ($7.00)
3. Ndola ($6.00)
12. Persian Spirit ($8.00)
Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola has a broken right fibula, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Sunday, and will sit out the remainder of the season.
Raiola suffered the injury while being sacked and losing a fumble early in the third quarter of Saturday’s 21-17 loss to USC.
After the game, Cornhuskers coach Matt Rhule told reporters that Raiola wanted to return to the game, but the sophomore couldn’t run so Rhule decided it was unsafe to send him back in.
Raiola completed 10 of 15 passes against the Trojans for 91 yards and a touchdown before the injury. He was replaced by true freshman TJ Lateef, who went 5-of-7 for 7 yards and rushed for 18 yards on six carries.
Raiola had completed 72.4% of his passes for 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns through nine games this season. He has been intercepted six times.
The Huskers (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) lost their 29th consecutive game to an AP Top 25 opponent, a streak that dates to 2016. They will go on the road to face UCLA next Saturday.
ESPN’s Max Olson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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