Golden Knights Lose Shootout — But Gain Nate Schmidt for Six More Years
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.
Here’s a photo of a fan at a preseason game this season.
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.
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.
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.
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