Michael Stone retires from the NHL, will join Calgary Flames in player development role

Long-time NHL defenseman Michael Stone has decided to hang up the skates for good. He will transition to the next chapter of his life in a player development role with the Calgary Flames. Stone most recently played for the Flames. In the 2022-23 season, he scored six goals and 11 points in 48 games in Calgary.

Stone was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and played his junior career for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL. He became one of the most important players in the Hitmen’s organisation during the four years he spent playing for them. In the two final years there he scored 61 and 65 points, respectively.

In 2008, he was drafted in the third round by the Phoenix Coyotes. He made his NHL debut during the 2011-12 season and played two playoff games during the Coyotes’ memorable 2012 Western Conference finals run. Between 2011-2013 he played 157 games in the AHL for the San Antonio Rampage and the Portland Pirates, scoring 17 goals and 63 points in that span.

Stone became an NHL regular in the 2013-14 season for the Coyotes, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 70 games. He would play the next two and a half seasons in Arizona, including the best offensive season in his career with 36 points in 2015-16. At the 2016-17 trade deadline, Stone was traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a third round pick and a fifth round pick.

For the last seven years, Stone has been a part of the Flames organisation. He has been a steady force on the backend for more than half a decade with his strong slapshots and defensive play. In his career, Stone has scored 41 goals and 145 points in 552 games between the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes and the Calgary Flames over 12 seasons.