Golden Knights’ John Tortorella doesn’t have a Mark Stone update ahead of Game 1 vs. Avalanche

Mark Stone hasn’t played for the Vegas Golden Knights since Game 3 of the second-round against the Anaheim Ducks — and it looks like the captain’s absence will stretch for at least one more contest.

“Vegas coach John Tortorella said he doesn’t have an update on Stone’s status for Game 1,” reported NHL.com’s Dan Rosen on Tuesday.

Stone’s availability for the Western Conference Final is one of the key storylines as the Knights go up against the President’s Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, with a berth in the Stanley Cup Final on the line.

The 34-year-old suffered a lower-body injury back on May 8, and along with missing the last three games of Round 2, he hasn’t practiced with the Golden Knights once.

Vegas was able to dispatch of Anaheim in six games without Stone for the last week of the series, winning the Pacific Division in the process. But the challenge becomes even greater against a Colorado team that is 8-1 in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The good news for the Knights is that Stone hasn’t been ruled out for the entire series, but it’s safe to say that his status for Games 1 and 2 is extremely unlikely.

He won a championship with the Golden Knights in 2022-23, and was a critical piece during that run, amassing 11 goals and 24 points in 22 games.

But Stone has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career; he hasn’t played more than 70 games in a regular season since 2016-17, when he was still a member of the Ottawa Senators. He was originally selected by the Sens in the sixth round of the 2010 NHL Draft, and was traded to the strip ahead of the 2019 trade deadline.

Despite missing 22 games in 2025-26, Stone was terrific, amassing 73 points in 60 games. He’s also added three goals and seven points in nine games in this postseason.

Tortorella should have another update on Stone’s status ahead of Game 1, which is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET from Ball Arena on Wednesday night.

The Golden Knights and Avalanche have played once in the postseason, with Vegas beating Colorado in six games in 2021 in the second round. Another heavyweight bout looms between two powerhouses who have won two of the last four NHL championships.

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