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| 1981 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Steve Smith
Selected in
sixth round
No. 111 overall by Edmonton Oilers
Born
April 30, 1963
 | Position:
Defense
Height: 6-3 Weight: 210
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
London (OMJHL)
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland (Great Britain)
Hometown:
London, Ontario |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1979-80 |
Fergus | Jr. D |
23 | 10 |
14 | 24 |
40 | | 1980-81 |
London | OMJHL |
62 | 4 |
12 | 16 |
141 |
|
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: December 29, 1984 (Detroit at
Edmonton)
Numbers: 5 (Edmonton); 3, 5
(Chicago); 55 (Calgary)
Stanley Cup: 1987, 1988, 1990
Playing Status:
Retired for final time on December 7, 2000 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1984-2000 |
Edmonton, Chi., Calg. | 804 |
72 | 303 |
375 | 2,139 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1986-1997 |
Edmonton, Chicago | 134 |
11 | 41 |
52 | 288 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1991 (Edmonton)
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost):
1992 (Chicago)
Edmonton Defenseman of Year: 1990-91
Edmonton Emery Edge Award (+/- Leader): 1987-88 (plus-40)
Calgary Captain: Oct. 2, 1999, until Dec. 7, 2000
Edmonton Records: Most penalty minutes in one season (286 in 1987-88)
Edmonton Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1987-88 (286), 1990-91 (193)
Edmonton Playoffs Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1990 (37), 1991 (45)
Chicago Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1995 (128)
Coaching Career: Named Calgary assistant coach on Aug. 18, 1997, and
remained in that position until Aug. 17, 1998.
Miscellaneous: Called up to Edmonton for 1985 playoffs, but did not appear
in any playoff games and therefore did not have name engraved on Stanley
Cup. ... Called up to NHL for good on Oct. 17, 1985, after opening 1985-86
season with Nova Scotia (AHL). ... Missed parts of 1985-86 season with strained right shoulder, suffered in fight with Lindy Ruff at 9:50 of first period during
Calgary's Nov. 1, 1985, game vs. Buffalo, and with pulled stomach muscle, suffered in February 1986. ... Missed start of 1988-89 season with
separated left shoulder, an injury suffered when he tripped over Lucien DeBlois' stick during Edmonton's Sept. 20, 1988 preseason game vs. N.Y.
Rangers at Denver. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with re-aggravation of
left shoulder injury, suffered in October 1988. ... Missed remainder of
1988-89 regular season with dislocated left shoulder, an injury suffered when
he was winding up for a slap shot during Edmonton's Jan. 2, 1989, game at
Minnesota. The recurring shoulder injury required surgery on Jan. 23, 1989,
and Smith did not return to action until Game 1 of Edmonton's first-round
playoff series at Los Angeles on April 5, 1989. ... Missed part of 1989-90
season with broken bone in in foot, an injury suffered during Edmonton's Oct.
5, 1989, season-opener at Vancouver. ... Missed Edmonton's 1991 training camp
while holding out as a restricted free agent in contract dispute with Oilers.
The situation was resolved before the 1991-92 season when Edmonton traded him
to Chicago. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with pulled ribcage muscle, an
injury suffered during Chicago's Dec. 31, 1991, game at Minnesota. ... Missed
part of 1992-93 season with strained muscle in back, an injury suffered during
Chicago's Dec. 27, 1992, game vs. Detroit. ... Suspended four games and fined
$500 by NHL during 1993-94 season role in stick-swinging incident with Denis
Savard during Chicago's Nov.
20, 1993, game at Tampa Bay. The suspension, announced on Nov. 26, 1993, cost
Smith $54,000 of his $950,000 contract, and he did not return to action until
Chicago's Dec. 7, 1993, game at St. Louis. ... Missed remainder of 1993-94 season and entire 1994
playoffs with broken left leg, an injury suffered during Chicago's Feb. 24,
1994, game vs. Winnipeg. ... Was Chicago's nominee and a finalist for 1995
Masterton Trophy. ... Missed start of 1995-96 season with back spasms, an
injury suffered during Chicago's practice on Oct. 5, 1995. He did not make his
1995-96 debut until Chicago's Nov. 9, 1995, game vs. Vancouver. ... Missed
part of 1995-96 season with sore back, an injury suffered during Chicago's
Nov. 22, 1995, game at Colorado. He did not return to action until Chicago's
Dec. 20, 1995, game at Toronto. ... Missed part of 1995-96 season with sore
back, an injury suffered prior to Chicago's Jan. 2, 1996, game at Boston. He
did not return to action until Chicago's Jan. 27, 1996, game vs. Detroit. He
immediately re-aggravated the injury and did not return to action until
Chicago's Feb. 15, 1996, game at Boston. ... Missed remainder of 1995-96
regular-season and start of 1996 playoffs with broken left fibula, an injury
suffered during Chicago's April 7,1996, game vs. Detroit. He did not return to
action until Game 1 of Chicago's Western Conference quarterfinal series at
Colorado on May 2, 1996. ... Missed part of 1996-97 season with injured nerve
in left leg, suffered during Chicago's Oct. 5, 1996, season-opener at
Washington. He did not return to action until Chicago's Oct. 29, 1996, game at
Tampa Bay. ... Missed part of 1996-97 season with sore back, an injury
suffered in Chicago's Nov. 17, 1996, game vs. Los Angeles and
re-aggravated during Chicago's Nov. 27, 1996, game at San Jose. He did not
return to the lineup until Chicago's Dec. 28, 1996, game at Toronto. He again
re-aggravated the injury during Chicago's Dec. 31, 1996, game vs. Colorado and
did not return to action until Chicago's March 14, 1997, game at Dallas. ... Retired for first time
on Aug. 14, 1997,
due to chronic back pain, and spent 1997-98 as a Calgary assistant coach. ... Came
out of retirement on Aug. 17, 1998, to play for Calgary after back injury subsided enough for him
to resume career. ... Played for his first game for Calgary in 1998-99
season-opener vs. San Jose in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 9, 1998. ... Missed part
of 1998-99 season with ankle injury, suffered during Calgary's March 13, 1999,
game at Washington. ... Paired on defense with Derek Morris for Calgary in
1998-99. ... Missed remainder of 1998-99 season with laceration on neck,
suffered during Calgary's April 3, 1999, game vs. Toronto. ... Was Calgary's
nominee for 1998-99 Masterton Trophy. ... Missed a quarter of 1999-00 season
with dislocated elbow, an injury suffered during Calgary's Nov. 6, 1999, game
vs. Florida. He did not return to action until Calgary's Dec. 29, 1999, game
vs. Anaheim. ... Missed remainder of 1999-00 season with bruised spinal
cord,
an injury suffered during Calgary's Jan. 8, 2000, game vs. Tampa Bay. The
injury required surgery. ... Missed Calgary's 2000 training camp and start of
2000-01 season while recovering from back surgery. He did not make his 2000-01
season debut until Calgary's Oct. 15, 2000, game at Detroit. ... Missed
remainder of 2000-01 season with concussion, an injury suffered during
Calgary's Nov. 8, 2000, game at Minnesota. The injury, which also involved a
re-injury of his back, ended Smith's career by forcing him to retire two
months into the season. Doctors had told him he would not receive their
medical clearance to resume his career.
Smith's Major Mistake:
Smith is best known for his role in a moment that likely deprived the Edmonton
Oilers a chance to match Montreal's record of winning the Stanley Cups five
consecutive times. In 1985-86, the Oilers were coming off two straight Stanley
Cup championships and appeared on the road to a third when they ran into a
tough Calgary Flames team that took a 3-2 series lead through the first five
games of the Smythe Division final series. Edmonton won Game 6 in Calgary to
force a seventh game on April 30, 1986. Ironically, Game 7 was also the night
of Smith's 23rd birthday. With the Oilers riding their Game 6
momentum, it appeared the dynasty was safe, but Calgary put up a tough fight
in Game 7, and the score was tied 2-2 after two periods. The third period
proved to be Edmonton's undoing, thanks to a costly mistake by Smith -- an
error that would haunt the defenseman for the rest of his career. Just five
minutes into the final period, Calgary's Perry Berezan sent the puck into the
Edmonton zone as he was going off on a line change. Smith, a rookie, retrieved the puck
behind the Oilers goal, moved to his left and attempted to fire a clearing
shot out of the zone. Unfortunately, Smith had not looked up from the play to
realize he was too close to his own goal. His
shot caught the back of goaltender Grant Fuhr's left leg and banked into the
Edmonton net, giving Calgary a 3-2 lead it would never relinquish. Berezan was
credited with an unassisted goal at 5:14 of the third period, even though
Smith clearly put the puck into his own net. Calgary players celebrated the
goal not only because it gave them a win, but because they felt it
served as payback for Smith, who speared Calgary's Carey Wilson in Game 6,
landing Wilson in the hospital with a ruptured spleen. The Oilers thought they
had time to come back and tie the game after Smith's error, but they couldn't
beat Calgary goalie Mike Vernon. After the game, Edmonton coach Glen Sather
didn't blame Smith for the loss, instead pointing to the whole
period. "We lost as a team," Sather said. "We had lots of time to come back
after that." Fans, however, continued to blame Smith for the loss,
particularly after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1987 and 1988, making it
apparent that without Smith's mistake, there might have been five straight
titles. In another twist of fate, Smith would ultimately end his career with
Calgary, the team he helped notch one of hockey greatest upsets. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: London (OHL); Moncton (AHL);
Brantford (OHL); Nova Scotia (AHL)
Canada Cup: 1991 (Canada) (first place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Coaching Career: Named Chicago Mission
Pee-Wee Major assistant coach in July 2003 and held position into 2003-04
season. Included on the team's roster is Smith's son Barron.
Miscellaneous: Grew an inch after
he was drafted, and played most of career at 6-foot-4. ... Also played
right wing during last two seasons with London (OHL). ... Played seven games
for Brantford (OHL) as an overage junior in 1983-84. ... Was active in
charitable causes during his playing days, including work as honorary chairman
of Edmonton Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and honorary chairman of Edmonton
Special Olympics and regular visits to Children's Memorial Hospital in
Chicago. ... Ran Edmonton-based Twin Towers Hockey School with
teammate Jeff Beukeboom in early 1990s. ... Returned to Chicago area after
retirement and coached son in youth hockey and baseball.
Personal: Full name is James
Stephen Smith. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Edmonton traded Smith to Chicago in
exchange for Dave Manson and 1992 third-round pick (Kirk Maltby) on October 2,
1991. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '81 | | Total Selected: |
211 | | Forwards: |
119 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
25 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
10/4 | | College Players: |
21 | | High School: |
18 |
| Canadian: |
139 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
37 | | U.S.-Born: |
36 |
| European: |
32 |
| Reached NHL: |
114 |
| Stanley Cup: |
17 | | Hall of Fame: |
2 |
| All-Star Game: |
14 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
30 |
| Picks Traded: |
38 |
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