It’s not quite official just yet, but Mark Stone will inherit the “A” that used to be stitched so proudly to Chris Neil’s sweater at some point in the next few weeks.
“He’s one of the guys who helped me grow as a person,” Stone said of Neil, who is waiting on his future after not being signed by the Senators as a free agent in the summer. “He always protected me, helped me feel safe on the ice, a guy I have a tremendous amount of respect for, a guy I enjoyed sitting next to in the locker room.