Stone brings Stanley Cup to children's hospital in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG -- Giving back, especially to children, resonates deeply with Mark Stone.

The captain of the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who grew up in Winnipeg, felt it was important to make an impact during his time with the Cup this offseason as part of the Champions Tour.

So he, his wife, Hayley, and his dad, Rob, spent hours with the Cup at the HSC Children's Hospital on Wednesday.

"I knew I was getting an extra 12 hours with (the Cup) and I wanted to do something special and put some smiles on some kids' faces who are maybe going through a tough time," Stone said. "The Stanley Cup is a unique trophy. It puts a smile on most peoples' faces when they see it, so it was exciting to come in here and try to lighten up a kid's day."

One element of the importance of children's health that has left a mark with Stone comes from a friendship forged through hockey.

When he was playing in his home province with Brandon of the Western Hockey League, Stone was billeted with the family of former NHL player Ryan White. In February 2022, Ryan White's son Gordie was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare and difficult to treat cancer.

"That was kind of my inspiration to do something like this," Stone said. "Seeing his battle and how tough he is and what he's going through, that's the main reason why I did this.

"It's tough sometimes. It's hard to see some of what these kids go through, but they're so tough. They're warriors, they battle so hard. And, like I said, to put a smile on their face, it puts a smile on mine."

Perspective on life and health, including his own, is not lost on Stone. The 12-year NHL veteran underwent two surgical procedures on his back in a span of nine months; the most recent on Jan. 31 that kept him out until Vegas' first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stone didn't miss a game the rest of the way, finishing with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 22 games, including a hat trick in the deciding Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, a 9-3 win against the Florida Panthers.

"Look, I get to play hockey for a living," Stone said. "I have a little daughter of my own now, so this stuff is difficult. It brings tears to your eyes sometimes, but like I said, to put a smile on someone's face means the world to me."

Stefano Grande, president and CEO of the Children's Hospital Foundation, said Stone's visit made a big impact.

"We're so thankful for leaders like Mark Stone," Grande said. "(He's) shown a deep level of caring for his community by taking the time to visit children in hospital."

Hospital staff say special visits like Stone's not only help families create positive memories in the hospital, but they also provide comfort, distraction and motivation for kids receiving treatment.

"Even when I'm in Vegas I do a lot of stuff with the children, so I had someone from the [Golden] Knights reach out and fortunately we were able to get something set up quickly," Stone said. "We set up a great little event here. I hope these memories for the kids can last for a lifetime."