The VGK signed defenseman for six more years because of his play on the ice and his community presence off the ice.

Golden Knights Lose Shootout — But Gain Nate Schmidt for Six More Years

October 24, 2018October 25, 2018 Alan Snel George McPhee, Nate Schmidt, Shea Theodore

Fans ready to come through the doors for tonight’s game. Photo credit: J. Tyge O’Donnell

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

Golden Knights fans left T-Mobile Arena a bit blue after the VGK dropped a shootout to the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night.

But they couldn’t help but smile after they heard after the shootout that the Golden Knights locked up suspended defenseman Nate Schmidt for six more years through 2024-25 at an average salary of $5.95 million per year. Here’s Schmidt saying how happy he is to remain in Las Vegas.

Schmidt, last year. Photo credit: J. Tyge O’Donnell/LVSportBiz.com

Here’s a photo of a fan at a preseason game this season.

Photo credit: J. Tyge O’Donnell/LVSportsBiz.com

Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee said Schmidt, currently serving a 20-game suspension for violating the performance enhancement substance program, is a shut-down defender, adds pace to the offense, has room for growth and is a terrific locker room and community presence. He’s practicing with an Austrian team called the Vienna Capitals while he serves his 20-game PED suspension. He’s not playing in games in Austria — just practicing with the club.

Nate Schmidt at a recent blood drive to remember Oct. 1.

The Golden Knights could use some of that Schmidt offensive pace as the team has scored 20 goals in the first nine games and lack the offensive firepower displayed in season one that ended with an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Schmidt contract extension signing was announced by VGK PR chief Eric Tosi at the start of the coach Gerard Gallant post-game press conference. It was reminiscent of the announcement of defenseman Shea Theodore’s contract deal that was also publicized following a game during the preseason.

Nate Schmidt, last year. Photo credit: J. Tyge O’Donnell/LVSportsBiz.com

LVSportsBiz.com is not aware of a pro player signing a contract extension while he is suspended for using a banned substance.

On the business side, the team is doing fine. The VGK will be selling out for the rest of 2018-19, with an announced attendance at 18,189 Wednesday night — well over T-Mobile Arena capacity of 17,367.

After four home dates, the Golden Knights are averaging attendance of 18,360 — good for 105.7 percent of capacity at T-Mobile Arena, a building designed with the NHL in mind. The Knights’ 105.7 percent of capacity is second in the NHL, trailing only Chicago.

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LVSportsBiz.com also chatted with Channel 8 sports director Chris Maathuis about the Golden Knights and the Las Vegas sports market before the game. Check out that interview here.

Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Contact LVSportsBiz.com publisher/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com

Alan Snel

Alan Snel brings decades of sports-business reporting experience to LVSportsBiz.com. Snel covered the business side of sports for the South Florida (Fort Lauderdale) Sun-Sentinel, the Tampa Tribune and Las Vegas Review-Journal. As a city hall beat reporter, Snel also covered stadium deals in Denver and Seattle. In 2000, Snel launched a sport-business website for FoxSports.com called FoxSportsBiz.com. After reporting sports-business for the RJ, Snel wrote hard-hitting stories on the Raiders stadium for the Desert Companion magazine in Las Vegas and The Nevada Independent. Snel is also one of the top bicycle advocates in the country.

July 5, 2021

LVSPORTSBIZ.COM, launched June 2017: We are a digital magazine providing market-leading news, intelligence, enterprise and breaking info on Las Vegas’ sports/stadium industry. Our stories are quoted nationally and we set the sportsbiz news agenda in Las Vegas. Publisher Alan Snel has reported on the business of sports and stadiums in Denver, South Florida, Seattle and Tampa besides Las Vegas and is considered a national authority on the topic.

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Hirings and Firings:

Las Vegas Aces President Nikki Fargas said the Aces are not renewing the contract of General Manager Natalie Williams. The Aces hired Williams as the team’s general manager in April 2022.

Vegas Golden Knights said the NHL club has signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $7,425,000.

Our coverage of the Athletics stadium project in Las Vegas.

Mark Rosentraub on A’s stadium site on Strip.

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Man of Many Hats

Athletics’ long, strange journey for new ballpark

Athletics consultant Jeremy Aguero is eye of Las Vegas’ sports hurricane

How Deal Was Made For A’s Ballpark On Strip

Bally’s Corp, Gaming & Leisure Properties team up with A’s for ballpark on Strip

Bally’s Corp Chairman Wants Hotel Open When A’s Stadium Is Ready In 2028

To contact LVSportsBiz.com Publisher Alan Snel or buy his book, Bicycle Man: Life of Journeys, email him at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com

LVSportsBiz number for 2024: $1,178,161,041. That’s the amount of debt Las Vegas (actually, Clark County) owes for its public share of building the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium.