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Cole Smith (ice hockey)

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Cole Smith
Born (1995-10-28) October 28, 1995 (age 29)
Brainerd, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NHL team Nashville Predators
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2020–present

Cole Smith (born October 28, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Early life

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Smith was born on October 28, 1995, in Brainerd, Minnesota,[1] to Tom and Kris Smith.[2] He was born into an athletic family as his mother, father, sister, uncle, and numerous cousins all participated in sports at the college level.[3] His father played football at St. Cloud State University and mother ran track at Concordia College-Moorhead.[2] His youngest sister Gabbie plays ice hockey for Bemidji State University (BSU)[4] while his middle sister Allyson played soccer for BSU.[5] His uncle Sandy also played collegiate hockey and played professionally for Eisbären Berlin in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.[6] In 2009, his mother Kris was inducted into the Concordia College Athletics Department Hall of Fame as she had set program records for indoor and outdoor long jump.[7] Numerous members of his family were inducted into the Warrior Athletic Hall of Fame and named Brainerd Athletes of the Year.[3]

Career

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Amateur

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Growing up in Brainerd, Minnesota, Smith became good friends with future American Hockey League teammate Mitch McLain.[8] Despite their two-year age difference, they played youth baseball together and participated in the U10 Little League World Series.[8] While attending Brainerd High School from 2011 to 2014, Smith participated in three sports; ice hockey, football, and track.[2] Smith excelled in all three sports while attending Brainerd High School. In football, he played defensive back, wide receiver, and played on special teams. During the 2013 season, Smith helped the Brainerd Warriors finish with a 12–1 record and was named to the Minnesota Vikings All-State High School Team, All-Section and All-Conference teams, and the Warriors Defensive Player of the Year.[9] His coach Ron Stolski described him as "a player with a great work ethic, a quiet leader who leads by example, and a difference-maker."[10] He was also three-year starter for the Brainerd ice hockey team and finished his career ninth on the Warriors’ all-time scoring list with 110 total points.[11] In track, Smith won the triple jump for Brainerd's only first-place finish in the 2014 Wayzata Invitational.[12] After graduating, Smith was selected in the 10th round of the United States Hockey League Draft by the Sioux Falls Stampede.[13]

Manitoba Junior Hockey League

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Smith participated in the Stampede's tryout sessions before the 2014–15 season but was cut before the roster was finalized. He subsequently joined the Steinbach Pistons in the Canadian-based Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) due to a family connection to the head coach.[14] In his first season with the Pistons, Smith accumulated 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points over 38 games.[1] He also gained the attention of scouts from the University of North Dakota (UND), Bemidji State University, and the University of Michigan.[14] During his second season with the team, Smith greatly improved on his rookie season and led the team in scoring with 26 goals and ranked second with 61 points. His offensive efforts helped the Pistons qualify for the MJHL's Turnbull Cup where he scored seven goals and 11 assists in 15 playoff games.[15] Smith was recognized with the MJHL's Player of the Month of April honor after recording four goals and six assists through eight playoff games.[16] Although numerous colleges had been interested in him, only UND extended him a 20 percent scholarship.[14] He officially committed to join UND for the 2016–17 season after visiting the school in March.[17]

College

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Smith played college hockey for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at the University of North Dakota from 2016 to 2020 while majoring in kinesiology.[2] Although he struggled to earn playing time at the start of his freshman season, Smith became a regular in the lineup by the end of the season.[14] He scored his first collegiate goal in his college debut against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on October 15.[18][19] As the Fighting Hawks qualified for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Quarterfinals, Smith assisted on the game-tying and game-winning goals in their 6–5 overtime win over St. Cloud State in Game 2.[2] He skated in the final 12 games of the 2016–17 regular season[14] and finished with three goals and four assists in 29 games.[1]

Although he was scratched for the Fighting Hawks 2017–18 season opener, Smith became a key player for the team as the season continued.[20] Over the final six games of November, Smith was tied for the team lead in assists and led the team with a plus-6 rating.[21] On December 2, Smith tied Ben Cherski's school record for fastest goal to start the third period after he scored seven seconds into the third period of a game against Western Michigan.[20] He quickly became a mainstay on the Fighting Hawks' third line with Johnny Simonson and Trevor Olson. In the nine games leading up to the Christmas break, Smith led all UND forwards with six points and scored in three consecutive games.[22] On January 26, Smith was suspended one game following an illegal hit to the head of University of Denver defenseman Adam Plant.[23] Smith finished his sophomore season with a career-high five goals and five assists for 10 points.[1]

During his junior season, Smith consistently played alongside Gavin Hain and Mark Senden. The trio finished in the top three amongst team scorers and registering a combined plus-45.[24] Smith finished his junior season with five goals and a career-high 11 assists for 16 points.[25] He received the team's Cliff 'Fido' Purpur Award as a player who exemplifies hard work and determination[26] and was named an American Hockey Coaches Association Division I All American Scholar.[27]

Prior to the start of his senior year, Smith was named an assistant captain for the Fighting Hawks.[25] In his senior year, Smith was a key component of a Fighting Hawks team that posted the top regular season record in the NCHC,[28] including setting a record for most consecutive home wins at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.[29] Although the Fighting Hawks finished with the conference's regular-season title, they were unable to compete for the conference and national championships because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[28] Smith finished the regular season with a career-high 11 goals and 18 points over 34 games[28] and was named as a finalist for the NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year award.[30]

Nashville Predators

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Smith officially concluded his collegiate career on March 19, 2020, after signing a one-year contract with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League.[28] Ahead of the delayed 2020–21 season, Smith was given the jersey number 36 after he made his original number 15 available for veteran Brad Richardson.[31] Before joining the Predators' training camp for the pandemic-shortened, Smith was re-assigned to their ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades.[32] He played five games with the Everblades in December 2020, tallying three points, before being recalled to join the Predators' training camp.[33] Due to the unique nature of the season, Smith was named to the Predators "taxi squad,"[34] a group of players who travelled with the team to enable swift call-ups in the event of positive COVID-19 cases.[35] One day into the regular season, Smith was recalled to the active roster and made his NHL debut on January 14, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He recorded one shot on goal in 5:57 minutes of ice time in the Predators' 3–1 win.[36] By making his NHL debut, Smith became the first former Pistons player to ever appear in an NHL game.[37] This would be his only NHL game of the season as he was shortly thereafter assigned to the Predators American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, on January 21.[38] Smith recorded his first career AHL points, a goal and assist, on February 20 in a 10–2 win over the Iowa Wild.[39][40] He later recorded his first professional two-goal game on April 17 against the Rockford IceHogs, although the team would lose in a shootout.[41] He finished the regular season with five goals and five assists for 10 points and 16 penalty minutes over 23 games.[39] Upon concluding his rookie season with the Wolves, the Predators signed Smith to a one-year, two-way contract extension worth $750,000 at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level on July 15, 2021.[42]

After attending the Predators 2021 training camp,[43] Smith was re-assigned to their new AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, prior to the start of the 2021–22 season.[44] On November 5, Smith scored his first goal as a member of the Admirals to help the team clinch a 2–1 win over the Manitoba Moose and snap a four-game losing streak.[45] Following this game, Smith added two-assist against the Iowa Wild for his first multi-point contest of the season. After tallying three goals and three assists over nine games with the Admirals, Smith was recalled to the NHL level on November 13.[46] He was returned to the Admirals on November 20 after Nick Cousins was activated from injured reserve.[47] Upon returning to the AHL, Smith added two goals and four assists over the next 11 games for 12 total points before being recalled back to the NHL on December 16.[48] He played that night against the Colorado Avalanche[49] and the following night against the Chicago Blackhawks before being reassigned on December 18.[50] Smith added five more points with the Admirals before earning his third NHL recall of the season on January 11.[49] After going pointless in the next three games, Smith was reassigned to the Predators "taxi squad."[51] In his first game back with the Admirals on January 31, Smith scored twice to help lead the team to a 5–0 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins.[52] Leading up to his fourth NHL recall on February 14, Smith became the fifth member of the Admirals to reach double-digits in goals and ranked sixth on the team in points with 22.[53] Smith's efforts with the Admirals helped lift them from last place in the Central division to third place. He scored his 20th goal of the season, and second in the game, on April 16 to help the Admirals qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2018–19 season.[54] Over his eight NHL games of the season, Smith recorded 21 hits while averaging 8:50 minutes of ice time. He finished the AHL regular season with 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points over 59 games, the fourth most on the team. As a result of his play, Smith signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Predators on July 14, 2022.[55]

Smith (bottom left) reaching for the puck during a game against the Seattle Kraken in November 2023.

Smith began the 2022–23 season on the Predators opening night roster for the first time in his professional career.[56] On October 7, Smith recorded his first career NHL point, an assist, in a 4–1 win over the San Jose Sharks.[57] On January 21, 2023, in his 49th NHL game, Smith scored his first career goal to lift the Predators 5–3 over the Los Angeles Kings.[58] Smith missed the final two weeks of the regular season to recover from the concussion, finishing with four goals and 13 assists for 17 points over 69 games. In his absence, the Predators fell three points shy of qualifying for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.[59]

Smith began the 2023–24 season on the fourth line but was quickly bumped up onto a line with Cody Glass and Gustav Nyquist. In his first game on this line, Smith recorded an assist, two shots on goal, and four hits to lift the Predators over the Seattle Kraken on October 12.[60] On December 21, 2023, Smith scored his first career short handed goal against the Philadelphia Flyers.[61] On January 24, Smith signed a two-year, $2 million contract extension with the Predators. At the time, he had accumulated a career-high five goals and 13 assists for 17 points over 46 games.[62]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2011–12 Brainerd High USHS 25 17 6 23 25 3 1 1 2 2
2012–13 Brainerd High USHS 24 21 18 39 53 3 1 2 3 0
2013–14 Brainerd High USHS 23 18 23 41 50 2 1 1 2 2
2014–15 Steinbach Pistons MJHL 38 12 11 23 25 12 6 2 8 2
2015–16 Steinbach Pistons MJHL 54 26 35 61 45 15 7 11 18 16
2016–17 U. of North Dakota NCHC 29 3 4 7 24 — — — — —
2017–18 U. of North Dakota NCHC 37 5 5 10 66 — — — — —
2018–19 U. of North Dakota NCHC 37 5 11 16 50 — — — — —
2019–20 U. of North Dakota NCHC 34 11 7 18 37 — — — — —
2020–21 Florida Everblades ECHL 5 1 2 3 0 — — — — —
2020–21 Nashville Predators NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2020–21 Chicago Wolves AHL 23 5 5 10 16 — — — — —
2021–22 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 59 21 20 41 62 9 3 2 5 8
2021–22 Nashville Predators NHL 8 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2022–23 Nashville Predators NHL 69 4 13 17 60 — — — — —
2023–24 Nashville Predators NHL 80 9 14 23 63 5 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 158 13 27 40 123 5 0 0 0 0

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Cole Smith". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "#26 Cole Smith". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b Millsop, Jeremy (14 January 2020). "Athletics: Smith and his accomplished family tree". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Gabbie Smith". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  5. ^ Rubado, Jared (28 February 2024). "Gabbie Smith's 'gamer' mindset at Bemidji State comes from athletic family lineage". Yahoo!. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Sandy Smith". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Concordia inducts Brainerd coach". Brainerd Dispatch. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b Kallmann, Dave (25 March 2022). "Childhood friends and unlikely pros, the Milwaukee Admirals' Cole Smith and Mitch McLain enjoy being teammates again". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  9. ^ Newman Jr, Denton L. (3 December 2013). "High School Football: Warriors name Cole Smith MVP". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  10. ^ Bialka, Michael (6 December 2013). "High School Football: Smith was difference-maker for Warriors". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  11. ^ Bialka, Michael (14 May 2014). "Warriors Athlete of Week: Smith also standout in his 'fun sport'". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  12. ^ Newman Jr, Denton L. (2 May 2014). "Wayzata". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Stampede Select Dillion Eichstadt In USHL Draft". KKLS-FM. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e Schlossman, Brad Elliott (11 April 2020). "Cole Smith, who was cut by a USHL team and had one college offer, now has an NHL contract". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Eight recruits to join defending NCAA champs". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Smith Named RBC Player of the Month". Steinbach Pistons. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  17. ^ Bialka, Michael (8 March 2016). "Hockey: Smith commits to University of North Dakota". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  18. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (15 October 2016). "UND HOCKEY: Hat trick for homecoming". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Men's Hockey Falls at No. 1 UND". Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  20. ^ a b Schlossman, Brad Elliott (2 December 2017). "COLLEGE MEN'S HOCKEY: UND wins 4-1, finishes series sweep of Western Michigan". InForum. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  21. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (30 November 2017). "Cole Smith's impact when out of box". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  22. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (30 December 2017). "Cole Smith, fourth line stays hot in first exhibition game after Christmas break". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  23. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (26 January 2018). "NCHC suspends UND forward Cole Smith for tonight's game with Denver". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  24. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (2 October 2019). "'A special breed' Cole Smith wins UND hockey Iron Man competition for third time". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Captain group named for 2019-20 season". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  26. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (10 May 2019). "UND to vet assistant hockey coach candidates". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  27. ^ Wigness, Mitch (30 July 2019). "NCHC-leading seven UND players named AHCA All-American Scholars". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  28. ^ a b c d "Predators sign forward Cole Smith to one-year deal". ESPN. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  29. ^ Foss, Virg (4 January 2020). "UND sets REA record with 13th straight win". North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  30. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (16 March 2020). "UND has finalists for eight of nine major NCHC awards". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  31. ^ Bratten, Brooks (21 October 2020). "Preds Players Select New Numbers for 2021 Season". National Hockey League. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Predators Loan Six to ECHL's Florida Everblades". National Hockey League. 7 December 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  33. ^ "Predators Recall Five from ECHL's Florida Everblades". National Hockey League. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Nashville Predators Set 2020-21 Opening Night Roster". National Hockey League. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  35. ^ Rosen, Dan (13 January 2021). "NHL realignment, taxi squad for only one season, Daly says in Q&A". National Hockey League. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  36. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (15 January 2021). "Cole Smith makes NHL debut for Nashville Predators". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  37. ^ Frey, Terry (21 January 2021). "Pistons produce first NHLer". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  38. ^ Bratten, Brooks (21 January 2021). "Poile Talks Taxi Squad, AHL Roster Decisions for Preds". National Hockey League. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  39. ^ a b "2020-21 Bios" (PDF). Chicago Wolves. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  40. ^ "Chicago Wolves 10 Iowa Wild 2". American Hockey League. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  41. ^ "Wolves Fall in Shootout". Chicago Wolves. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  42. ^ "Predators Sign Cole Smith to One-Year, Two-Way Contract". National Hockey League. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  43. ^ Skrbina, Paul (22 September 2021). "Nashville Predators announce 2021-22 training camp roster". The Tennessean. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  44. ^ "Predators Assign Four to Milwaukee". National Hockey League. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  45. ^ "Ingram Backstops Ads to Win". Milwaukee Admirals. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  46. ^ "Smith Recalled, Grimaldi Assigned". Milwaukee Admirals. 13 November 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  47. ^ "Predators Reassign Cole Smith to Milwaukee". National Hockey League. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  48. ^ "Predators Recall Four Players, Two Coaches from Milwaukee". National Hockey League. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  49. ^ a b "Predators Recall Smith from Milwaukee, Luff from Taxi Squad". National Hockey League. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  50. ^ "Predators Reassign Four Players to Milwaukee". National Hockey League. 18 December 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  51. ^ "Predators' Cole Smith: Placed on taxi squad". CBS Sports. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  52. ^ "Smashville Scope: February 2". National Hockey League. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  53. ^ "Predators Recall Cole Smith from Milwaukee". National Hockey League. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  54. ^ "Playoff Ticket is Punched!". Milwaukee Admirals. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  55. ^ "Smith Re-Ups with the Preds". Milwaukee Admirals. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  56. ^ "Predators Assign Six to Milwaukee (AHL)". National Hockey League. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  57. ^ "Predators' Cole Smith: Earns first NHL assist". CBS Sports. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  58. ^ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (23 January 2023). "Cole Smith scores first NHL goal". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  59. ^ Mohs, Pete (27 April 2023). "Hockey: Smith enjoys first full season in NHL". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  60. ^ "Predators' Cole Smith: Pockets short-handed helper". CBS Sports. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  61. ^ @NHL (21 December 2023). "That's the first shorthanded goal of Cole Smith's career, and it was NIFTY! 👏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  62. ^ "Predators Sign Cole Smith to Two-Year, $2 Million Contract". National Hockey League. 24 January 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
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