At the trade deadline the Las Vegas Golden Knights made a trade for right winger Mark Stone. The Ottawa Senators received prospect Erik Brannstrom and forward Oscar Lindberg along with a 2020 second-round pick. Although the trade sounded steep the Golden Knights were able to immediately sign Stone to an 8 year deal keeping the underrated defensive minded forward a Golden Knight for long term.
Kelly McCrimmon coached Mark Stone as a young player with none other than the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League. Their relationship was intact with McCrimmon picking up Mark Stone at the airport. The same cited article from the Las Vegas Weekly quotes Stone talking about Kelly McCrimmon:
"“Him being here is comforting. He understands what good people are all about, so I knew that between him and George [McPhee]and Bill [Foley], they put good people in good places. I’ve noticed that ever since I got here.”"
It’s unlikely that Mark Stone either came or wouldn’t have come because of Kelly McCrimmon but it helps to have a real ‘hockey guy’ from a hockey family in the Vegas Golden Knights. Hockey is new to the Vegas valley but exciting to know as Golden Knights fans we can attract the talent both on and off the ice to keep the squad as one of the elite teams in the NHL.
Are you excited the Golden Knights were able to keep Kelly McCrimmon in the organization? What was the most interesting part of his life you read in the article?