Mark Stone, the 30-year-old forward for the Vegas Golden Knights, will make his return to the ice in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Winnipeg Jets at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET. Stone's comeback comes after a 39-game absence due to a back injury he sustained during a 4-2 victory against the Florida Panthers on January 12. He underwent surgery for the injury on January 31.Boston Bruins Pelipaita

Despite missing a significant portion of the season, Stone had not missed a game before the injury and had played all of the team's games. This is in contrast to last season when he only played 37 games due to a back injury that also led to surgery on May 19, 2022.

Stone attempted to rehabilitate the injury before seeking a second opinion from Dr. Chad Prusmack, who also performed teammate Jack Eichel's disk replacement surgery on his neck on November 12, 2021.

In the 43 games he has played this season, Stone has contributed 38 points, including 17 goals and 21 assists. Coach Bruce Cassidy does not anticipate any restrictions on Stone's playing time, but expects an adjustment period for him.Halvat NHL Pelipaidat