Former Senators Fan Favourite Records Gordie Howe Hat Trick

Former Senator Mark Stone hit an impressive milestone on Wednesday night. With a goal and an assist in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken, Stone reached the 400 point milestone with the Vegas Golden Knights.

For Sens fans, who still have a soft spot for Stone, it's hard to believe he's been gone from Ottawa long enough to put up a number like that.

But after the game, no one in Vegas was talking about Stone's 400 points. 

Instead, the conversation was more about his Gordie Howe hat trick, his willingness to stand up for his teammates, and the leadership that makes him so respected in the Knights' room and around the league.

Stone's fight occurred after teammate Victor Olofsson left the game after Ben Meyers cross-checked him into the boards from behind. Meyers was thrown out for the hit, but as emotions were still riding high, Stone said he didn't care for the lingering chirps coming from Seattle's Brandon Montour.

And so this happened.

"(Montour) had gone on to say some things about our team that I didn't like," Stone said. "I'm not gonna fight during too many five-on-threes. But I just didn't like some of the things he was saying about our team, and that's what led to it."

The scrap gave Stone a stat line of a goal, an assist, and a fight on the night, which is commonly billed as a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Stone had fought only six times previously in his NHL career, making Wednesday's scrap an especially rare sight from the 35-year-old captain.

Vegas head coach Ryan Craig tipped his cap to Stone.

"That's part of the reason he wears the letter he wears on his chest," Craig told reporters after the game. "He stepped up to the challenge there and answered the bell, and you can see the reaction from our group."

"It helps solidify the togetherness of our group," Craig said. "Sticking together, standing up for each other. That's just kind of the way the game went today, but good teams do that."

Jack Eichel also spoke glowingly of his captain.

"He's our leader as far as the group goes," Eichel said. "Tons of credit to Stoney. We love seeing that."

Not many star players would willingly trade a chance to pad their stats on a 5-on-3 for a trip to the penalty box. But Stone clearly felt that standing up for his team was more important. 

"This is a close team," Stone said. "There's a reason why we have success. It's not just because we have good players. It's because we stick together."

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa