Mark Stone was there when the Knights needed him most

Mark Stone plucked a black cap from the sheet of ice inside T-Mobile Arena, dangling it from his stick during a stoppage in play and leaving it on the Golden Knights bench before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final resumed.

Amidst the hundreds of hats that Stone could have chosen, he picked that specific one — for no reason in particular.

“I’m going to keep that one for the rest of my life,” Stone said. “Hang it up somewhere special.”

Along with the grey 2022-23 Stanley Cup championship cap he’d wear comfortably afterward.

Stone cemented his standing in Las Vegas lore on Tuesday, scoring three goals in the series-clinching 9-3 victory over the Florida Panthers — and triggering from the frenzied announced crowd of 19,058 the customary, torrential downpour of hats celebrating his hat trick. As the Golden Knights’ captain, the 31-year-old accepted the Stanley Cup from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to enjoy a celebratory lap around the rink.

And the subsequent euphoria that would accompany his ovation.

“Best fans in the world,” Stone would say with beads of sweat still brimming from his brow.

“They were itching for a major sports team, so for (owner) Bill (Foley) to bring the team here and fans to embrace it— the team and the city … People all stayed in their seats. Don’t know what else there is to say,” Stone added.

“It’s incredible.”

Also incredible is the resolve of Stone, who endured two back surgeries in a nine-month span before starring in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The first, a lumbar discectomy, was completed last May.

A second surgical procedure would follow in January.

The impediments limited Stone to 43 games in the regular season, during which he tallied 17 goals and 21 assists as one of the NHL’s top two-way wings.

“I’m glad it happened,” said Stone, who missed 45 games in 2021-22 with lower-back issues. “I’m glad I’m standing here a Stanley Cup champion. I wouldn’t have gotten the back surgery if I didn’t think this team could do what it did. When you believe in a team, you do everything you can to be a part of it.”

Indeed, Stone would return when the postseason began to steady the Knights with his passing, finishing, defense and leadership.

He played 22 of 22 possible games, totaling 11 goals and 13 assists en route 24 playoff points, good for third on the team behind standout center Jack Eichel (26) and Conn Symthe Award winner Jonathan Marchessault (25).

Said defenseman Zach Whitecloud: “For Mark Stone to come back and do what he’s done, that’s our captain.”

In a fashion befitting a captain, Stone started the party inside T-Mobile Arena with his first goal 11:52 into the first period. A stellar shorthanded save by goaltender Adin Hill would turn into a breakaway for Stone, who stopped instantaneously to evade Florida defenseman Brandon Montour before beating goalie Sergie Bobrovsky from point-blank range.

A one-timed wrister 17:15 into the second period preceded his third and final goal, an empty netter 14:06 into the third period.

He’s the first player since 1922 to record a hat trick in a Stanley Cup clincher — and the first player to captain the Golden Knights to the sacred silver chalice.

“It wasn’t me, right? (I’m the) captain of the team, but you can’t do it by yourself,” Stone said. “You have some of the most deep leadership group I’ve ever played on. Deepest team in the league. We had so many guys step up at the right time.

“I’m the captain of the team, but thank God, I don’t have to do as much as people think because of the guys that we have.”

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.