Huge controversy in Vegas and Gary Bettman is in trouble
During a press conference yesterday, Vegas Golden Knights' head coach Bruce Cassidy sparked controversy by announcing that team captain Mark Stone would be returning for the first game of the series against the Winnipeg Jets.
This news is crucial for the Vegas team, as Stone had been injured on January 12th against Florida while being the team's second-best player.
It's important to note that Mark Stone missed a full 3 months of the current season, during which he accumulated 38 points in 43 games. The news of his return for the first game of the playoffs has generated strong reactions and reignited the controversy surrounding the "Nikita Kucherov rule."
Indeed, the Golden Knights were able to place Stone on the long-term injured reserve list, allowing them to acquire solid new players for an amount equivalent to Stone's annual salary ($9.5 million).
Now, they can bring Stone back into their lineup just in time for the playoffs, as there is no salary cap during the postseason. It's curious that Stone is returning to full health right as the playoffs begin.
Naturally, Gary Bettman has taken some heat, and the controversy has truly exploded.
The Vegas Golden Knights, Pacific Division champions and top team in the Western Conference standings, are considered favorites to win their series against the Jets.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 18 | 478 ANSWERS Huge controversy in Vegas and Gary Bettman is in trouble Do you think the NHL should prevent this? | ||
| Yes | 301 | 63 % |
| No | 177 | 37 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Kyle Connor | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Alex Tuch | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Owen Power | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Bunting | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Drew Helleson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jirí Kulich | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Isac Lundestrom | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vladislav Namestnikov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nino Niederreiter | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Gabriel Vilardi | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Leo Carlsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ross Johnston | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Evgeni Malkin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Morrissey | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Perfetti | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Bryan Rust | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mark Scheifele | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Trevor Zegras | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||