Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris returned to the lineup for his first game of the season Wednesday against the Washington Capitals.
The 24-year-old last suited up for an NHL game Jan. 21 due to a shoulder injury. He underwent season-ending surgery shortly after.
Norris was limited to just eight games in 2022-23 because of the ailment. He initially suffered the injury last October during an innocuous-looking faceoff against the Arizona Coyotes. He returned for three games in January but ultimately re-aggravated the issue.
The Michigan native didn't participate in the Senators' preseason slate and first three regular-season games this year because of an unexpected setback.
Norris is currently in the second campaign of an eight-year, $63.6-million extension. He's amassed 54 goals and 93 points in 133 NHL games, all with the Senators. Norris' best season so far came in 2021-22, when he chipped in with a team-leading 35 tallies in 66 outings.
"Josh is a big part of that group. ... A lot of them are best friends in there," head coach D.J. Smith said before the game, per TSN 1200. "Guys are pulling for him. It's going to be emotional, I'm sure, for him to get back out there.
"I can tell you that it's been agonizing on him wanting to play and just the setbacks here and there ... but I think certainly it'll give our guys a boost."
Smith added that he doesn't expect Norris to be limited physically but that he has to be "conscious" of the amount of reps the forward is getting since he hasn't played in almost nine months.
The San Jose Sharks selected Norris 19th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Ottawa acquired him in 2018 as part of the trade that sent defenseman Erik Karlsson to San Jose.
The Senators have won their two most recent games after losing their first contest of the 2023-24 campaign.
