Stone scored hat trick in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final with fractured wrist

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone further cemented his status as a warrior by revealing he played through Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final with a fractured wrist during a recent appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show."

Stone said he "took a whack" to his left wrist in the first period of Vegas' Cup-clinching contest and had to take "a few things in between periods" so that he could play through it.

Despite the ailment, Stone scored in each stanza of the Golden Knights' 9-3 shellacking of the Florida Panthers - including a one-timer in the second period and an empty-netter in the third frame - to complete the first hat trick in a Stanley Cup Final since Peter Forsberg in 1996.

Stone went on to celebrate winning Lord Stanley's Mug, and he emphasized that he had to be "dialled in to lift the trophy," injury be damned.

"I made sure I wasn't feeling much in the wrist during that celebration," Stone joked.

He added, "You never know when you're gonna win again, right? You might never win. While you're there, you gotta give it a try."

That wasn't the only injury Stone had to work through. The 31-year-old battled back issues for the past two campaigns, and his 2022-23 regular season ended in January after he re-injured himself. He underwent his second back surgery in a span of nine months in February, but he was able to return for Game 1 of the first round against the Winnipeg Jets in the spring.

Stone ended up appearing in every single game of the playoffs, totaling 11 goals and 24 points in 22 contests while averaging just under 19 minutes per outing.

Prior to Game 5 against the Panthers, the veteran said he was prepared to do "whatever it took" to be ready for the postseason.

Puck drops on Vegas' 2023-24 campaign Oct. 10 against the Seattle Kraken.

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