Golden Knights captain Mark Stone played through broken wrist in Game 5 of Stanley Cup Final

At times, hockey’s fixation on toughness borders on irresponsible. As much as you can say that applies to Mark Stone powering through the Vegas Golden Knights’ run to a Stanley Cup, it’s difficult to argue with the results.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Stone confirmed that he recorded his Game 5 Cup-clinching hat trick despite suffering a fractured left wrist during the first period.

While it’s notable that Stone completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal, all three of the tallies were fairly impressive. Even the empty-netter required a long-distance shot:

McAfee covered a few interesting talking points, including how hockey’s culture around toughness stands out even compared to a physically demanding sport like football. One can definitely debate McAfee about whether or not this should be a feature of hockey culture “forever,” but either way, it’s impressive of Stone.

One thing that didn’t get covered was that Stone was already dealing with a separate injury. Frankly, it was already bold for the Vegas captain to return so quickly from a Jan. 31 back surgery, let alone make a legitimate argument for a Conn Smythe Trophy with 11 goals and 24 points while taking on tough defensive assignments in 22 playoff games.

Of course, Stone’s injury story is just part of the puzzle from the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Consider that multiple Golden Knights goalie injuries needed to happen to open the door for Adin Hill’s career-altering breakthrough.

On the losing side, Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk courageously attempted to play through a broken sternum. A week after the series, Stone said Tkachuk “looked like the Tin Man.” Like Stone, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad gutted it out through multiple injuries including a broken foot, two separate shoulder dislocations and a torn oblique muscle.

Perhaps that’s part of why the losing team in a Stanley Cup Final often struggles — sometimes missing the playoffs altogether — the next season. Maybe the sport shouldn’t demand this sort of thing from someone like Stone, yet this context makes his accomplishments that much more remarkable.