Golden Knights captain, Winnipegger Mark Stone to return for playoff series opener against Jets

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone has been activated off long-term injured reserve and will play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Monday.

The Winnipegger underwent back surgery on Jan. 31, a procedure he also received last May. Stone hasn't played since Jan. 12.

At the time of his injury, Stone was secondin scoring on the Golden Knights with 17 goals and 38 points in 43 games.

The 30-year-old has 23 goals and 27 assists in 73 career playoff games.

The Golden Knights (51-22-4) finished first in the Western Conference despite being without their captain down the stretch.

Vegas opens its first-round series against Winnipeg (46-33-3) on Tuesday.