Schmidt makes season debut after 20-game suspension
Nate Schmidt's 20-game suspension is up, and he's in the lineup for his season debut as the Vegas Golden Knights battle the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday evening.
Schmidt was suspended in September for a violating the terms of the NHL and NHLPA's performance-enhancing substances program, which the 27-year-old blue-liner strongly disagreed with due to the "microscopic" amount of tainted substance discovered in his system.
His return to the lineup should be big for the Golden Knights, who have sputtered out of the gate with an 8-11-1 record in his absence. Last season, Schmidt appeared in 76 games, recording a career-high 36 points while logging over 22 minutes per contest.
In the midst of his ban, Schmidt signed a six-year contract extension worth $5.95 million annually.