Al Smith (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Allan Robert Smith was a Canadian ice hockey
goaltender
. He died in 2002 as a result of pancreatic cancer.
. In 1962 he began playing for the Lakeshore Bruins of the OHA before rejoining the Marlboros in the 1964–65 season.
Late in the 1965–66 NHL season, Smith played two games with the Toronto Maple Leafs
, winning one of them and posting a 1.94 goals against average. In 1966 he was sent to the Maple Leaf farm team in Victoria, British Columbia
(also called the Maple Leafs
) where he started 56 games. He was moved to the Western Hockey League
's Vancouver Canucks
for the 1967 playoffs, where he played in 6 games, posting a 2.61 GAA and got one shutout. That year he also appeared in one game for the San Francisco Seals
in the WHL playoffs.
From 1967 to 1969 he played 85 games with the Tulsa Oilers, Rochester Americans
, and Baltimore Clippers
minor league teams before joining the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins
, claimed from the Toronto organization in the Intra-League Draft, June 11, 1969.
career with the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Smith was one of five goalies who played for the Maple Leafs during the 1966–67 regular season, their last Stanley Cup season. He was the back-up to Terry Sawchuk
for two of the last three games in the 1967 Stanley Cup final. The official NHL Record Book and Guide does not list Smith on the Stanley Cup winning roster.
Eighteen months earlier, Smith had quit the Toronto Marlboros to work for a hospital supply firm. During the 1964–65 season, Smith would get the opportunity to make his NHL debut for the Maple Leafs. The first game was against the Chicago Blackhawks, when he relieved Gary Smith atfter 2:15 of play. He backstopped the Leafs to a 3–2 victory and stalled Bobby Hull at 47 goals.
In the 1965–66 season, he played one more game for the Maple Leafs. On December 31, 1965, he was part of a 5–1 losing effort against the Blackhawks. After playing only one regular season game, Smith was called up and dressed for games four and five of Stanley Cup Finals, due to Johnny Bower's injury. Al Smith qualified to be engraved on the Stanley Cup, but Toronto left his name off, because he did not play in the playoffs. His other brief moment of glory for the Maple Leafs was participating in the 1968 NHL All-Star Game. He played in relief for Bruce Gamble
and stopped 13 of 14 shots. He would be claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the intraleague draft, the same draft that saw the Chicago Blackhawks claim Tony Esposito from the Montreal Canadiens.
, Detroit Red Wings
, Buffalo Sabres
, Hartford Whalers
and Colorado Rockies
. One of the most infamous moments of his career came on February 13, 1977 when he quit the Buffalo Sabres. Reunited with former Maple Leafs coach Punch Imlach
, now the Buffalo General Manager, Smith was to replace injured Sabres goalie Gerry Desjardins in a game against the Minnesota North Stars. The Sabres had also called up Don Edwards and less than an hour before gametime, Imlach ordered Sabres coach Floyd Smith to play Edwards instead. After the playing of the National Anthem, Smith stepped off the bench, saluted Buffalo owners Seymour and Northrup Knox and headed for the dressing room.
Smith would also play in the World Hockey Association
with the New England Whalers where he would earn the honour of WHA's top goaltender in 1978. A third team WHA All-Star for two consecutive years, many people in hockey felt Smith was robbed when snubbed by Team Canada for the 1974 Summit Series
between WHA All-Stars and the Russian national team. His career would last from 1966 to 1981.
Smith would be traded by the Red Wings to Buffalo Sabres for future considerations, March 10, 1975 then signed as free agent by New England Whalers, August 15, 1977. His National Hockey League rights were retained by Whalers prior to expansion draft, June 9, 1979. Finally he was traded by Whalers to Colorado Rockies for cash, September 4, 1980.
news service to new clients.
Smith did keep in touch with former WHA team mate Larry Pleau
. When Pleau coached the Hartford Whalers
in the NHL, Pleau would leave Smith tickets at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Once he returned to Toronto, Smith engaged in his love of writing. Subjects would include sports, ultimately creating the play Confessions to Anne Sexton and the beginnings of a novel titled, The Tragedy of Lake Tuscarora. To make ends meet, Smith became a taxi driver for Beck Taxi, a company in Toronto known for its orange and green taxi cabs. It was not uncommon for Smith to pick up old friends and former teammates.
In 1998, Smith would produce the play Confessions to Anne Sexton and bring it to theatre in 1998. The play, was about a former goalie who goes to New York City to attend an Impressionist art exhibit. On opening night, 17 people attended the Alumnae Theatre on Berkeley Street in Toronto to see the performance. He used the $34,000 of pension benefits he'd received as part of the NHL's settlement with former players.
In the last few months of his life, Smith socialized with Jim Keon, the brother of Smith's former teammate Dave Keon. Before his death, Smith was still working on The Tragedy of Lake Tuscarora. Smith's son Adam always said that his father was not a talented writer. After reading the manuscript, Adam told his father on his deathbed that there were 14 pages that were perfect and Smith was happy.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. He died in 2002 as a result of pancreatic cancer.
Minor-pro career
Smith began junior hockey in 1961 with the Toronto MarlborosToronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
. In 1962 he began playing for the Lakeshore Bruins of the OHA before rejoining the Marlboros in the 1964–65 season.
Late in the 1965–66 NHL season, Smith played two games with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, winning one of them and posting a 1.94 goals against average. In 1966 he was sent to the Maple Leaf farm team in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
(also called the Maple Leafs
Victoria Maple Leafs
The Victoria Maple Leafs were a minor pro ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League that played three seasons in Victoria, British Columbia, beginning in 1964. The previous season they had played as the Invaders in Denver, Colorado, winning the regular season with the best record in the Western...
) where he started 56 games. He was moved to the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
's Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks (WHL)
The Vancouver Canucks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Inaugurated in 1945 with the PCHL, they became a WHL team with the merger of the PCHL with the Western Canada Senior Hockey League in 1952...
for the 1967 playoffs, where he played in 6 games, posting a 2.61 GAA and got one shutout. That year he also appeared in one game for the San Francisco Seals
San Francisco Seals
San Francisco Seals can refer to:*San Francisco Seals , a Pacific Coast League team from 1903–1957*San Francisco Seals , a Western Hockey League team from 1961–1967 that entered the National Hockey League in the fall of 1967, as the California Seals*San Francisco Seals , also known as the San...
in the WHL playoffs.
From 1967 to 1969 he played 85 games with the Tulsa Oilers, Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
, and Baltimore Clippers
Baltimore Clippers
The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76...
minor league teams before joining the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, claimed from the Toronto organization in the Intra-League Draft, June 11, 1969.
Toronto Maple Leafs career
Smith started his National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
career with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Smith was one of five goalies who played for the Maple Leafs during the 1966–67 regular season, their last Stanley Cup season. He was the back-up to Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...
for two of the last three games in the 1967 Stanley Cup final. The official NHL Record Book and Guide does not list Smith on the Stanley Cup winning roster.
Eighteen months earlier, Smith had quit the Toronto Marlboros to work for a hospital supply firm. During the 1964–65 season, Smith would get the opportunity to make his NHL debut for the Maple Leafs. The first game was against the Chicago Blackhawks, when he relieved Gary Smith atfter 2:15 of play. He backstopped the Leafs to a 3–2 victory and stalled Bobby Hull at 47 goals.
In the 1965–66 season, he played one more game for the Maple Leafs. On December 31, 1965, he was part of a 5–1 losing effort against the Blackhawks. After playing only one regular season game, Smith was called up and dressed for games four and five of Stanley Cup Finals, due to Johnny Bower's injury. Al Smith qualified to be engraved on the Stanley Cup, but Toronto left his name off, because he did not play in the playoffs. His other brief moment of glory for the Maple Leafs was participating in the 1968 NHL All-Star Game. He played in relief for Bruce Gamble
Bruce Gamble
Bruce George Gamble was a professional ice hockey goaltender who played 10 seasons in the NHL between 1962 and 1972, with some years in the minor leagues in between...
and stopped 13 of 14 shots. He would be claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the intraleague draft, the same draft that saw the Chicago Blackhawks claim Tony Esposito from the Montreal Canadiens.
NHL and WHA career
He would also play with the Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
and Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
. One of the most infamous moments of his career came on February 13, 1977 when he quit the Buffalo Sabres. Reunited with former Maple Leafs coach Punch Imlach
Punch Imlach
George "Punch" Imlach , was an NHL coach and general manager. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.-Early career:...
, now the Buffalo General Manager, Smith was to replace injured Sabres goalie Gerry Desjardins in a game against the Minnesota North Stars. The Sabres had also called up Don Edwards and less than an hour before gametime, Imlach ordered Sabres coach Floyd Smith to play Edwards instead. After the playing of the National Anthem, Smith stepped off the bench, saluted Buffalo owners Seymour and Northrup Knox and headed for the dressing room.
Smith would also play in the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
with the New England Whalers where he would earn the honour of WHA's top goaltender in 1978. A third team WHA All-Star for two consecutive years, many people in hockey felt Smith was robbed when snubbed by Team Canada for the 1974 Summit Series
1974 Summit Series
The 1974 Summit Series was the second of two competitions between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. Canada was represented by World Hockey Association players instead of National Hockey League players, as it had been in the 1972 Summit Series. The Soviet team won the series 4-1-3...
between WHA All-Stars and the Russian national team. His career would last from 1966 to 1981.
Transaction history
Smith was claimed (from Toronto) by Pittsburgh Penguins in National Hockey League intraleague draft, June 11, 1969, then from Pittsburgh by the Detroit Red Wings in the intraleague draft, June 8, 1971. He was subsequently selected by New England Whalers in 1972 World Hockey Association General Player Draft, February 12, 1972.Smith would be traded by the Red Wings to Buffalo Sabres for future considerations, March 10, 1975 then signed as free agent by New England Whalers, August 15, 1977. His National Hockey League rights were retained by Whalers prior to expansion draft, June 9, 1979. Finally he was traded by Whalers to Colorado Rockies for cash, September 4, 1980.
Post-career
In 1981, Smith had played 37 games for the Colorado Rockies and retired. He jumped on a train to Vancouver and began selling cars. Afterwards, he headed to the BC interior to pick fruit. Before returning to Toronto, Smith also tried to sell the ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
news service to new clients.
Smith did keep in touch with former WHA team mate Larry Pleau
Larry Pleau
Lawrence Winslow Pleau is former senior vice president and General Manager of the St. Louis Blues. He is also a former NHL player and head coach.-High school and junior career:...
. When Pleau coached the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
in the NHL, Pleau would leave Smith tickets at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Once he returned to Toronto, Smith engaged in his love of writing. Subjects would include sports, ultimately creating the play Confessions to Anne Sexton and the beginnings of a novel titled, The Tragedy of Lake Tuscarora. To make ends meet, Smith became a taxi driver for Beck Taxi, a company in Toronto known for its orange and green taxi cabs. It was not uncommon for Smith to pick up old friends and former teammates.
In 1998, Smith would produce the play Confessions to Anne Sexton and bring it to theatre in 1998. The play, was about a former goalie who goes to New York City to attend an Impressionist art exhibit. On opening night, 17 people attended the Alumnae Theatre on Berkeley Street in Toronto to see the performance. He used the $34,000 of pension benefits he'd received as part of the NHL's settlement with former players.
In the last few months of his life, Smith socialized with Jim Keon, the brother of Smith's former teammate Dave Keon. Before his death, Smith was still working on The Tragedy of Lake Tuscarora. Smith's son Adam always said that his father was not a talented writer. After reading the manuscript, Adam told his father on his deathbed that there were 14 pages that were perfect and Smith was happy.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965–66 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 1.94 | ? |
| 1966–67 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 | ? |
| 1966–67 | Victoria Maple Leafs Victoria Maple Leafs The Victoria Maple Leafs were a minor pro ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League that played three seasons in Victoria, British Columbia, beginning in 1964. The previous season they had played as the Invaders in Denver, Colorado, winning the regular season with the best record in the Western... |
WHL | 56 | 24 | 26 | 5 | 3375 | 180 | 1 | 3.20 | ? |
| 1967–68 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 40 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 1179 | 126 | 0 | 3.20 | .893 |
| 1968–69 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 335 | 16 | 0 | 2.87 | ? |
| 1968–69 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 8 | ? | ? | ? | 480 | 22 | 0 | 2.87 | ? |
| 1968–69 1968–69 AHL season The 1968–69 AHL season was the 33rd season of the American Hockey League. Eight teams played 74 games each in the schedule. The Buffalo Bisons finished first overall in the regular season... |
Rochester Americans Rochester Americans The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
34 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 1979 | 114 | 0 | 3.46 | ? |
| 1969–70 1969–70 AHL season The 1969–70 AHL season was the 34th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Montreal Voyageurs became the second Canadian-based team in the league, and finished first overall in the regular season... |
Baltimore Clippers Baltimore Clippers The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76... |
AHL | 3 | ? | ? | ? | 180 | 8 | 0 | 2.67 | ? |
| 1969–70 | Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
NHL | 46 | 15 | 20 | 8 | 2555 | 129 | 0 | 3.03 | ? |
| 1970–71 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 46 | 9 | 22 | 9 | 2472 | 128 | 0 | 3.11 | ? |
| 1971–72 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 43 | 18 | 20 | 4 | 2500 | 135 | 4 | 3.24 | ? |
| 1972–73 | New England Whalers | WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
51 | 31 | 19 | 1 | 3059 | 162 | 1 | 3.18 | ? |
| 1973–74 | New England Whalers | WHA | 55 | 30 | 21 | 2 | 1569 | 164 | 3 | 3.08 | ? |
| 1974–75 | New England Whalers | WHA | 59 | 33 | 21 | 4 | 1725 | 202 | 0 | 3.47 | ? |
| 1975–76 | Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
NHL | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 840 | 43 | 0 | 3.07 | ? |
| 1976–77 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 265 | 19 | 0 | 4.30 | ? |
| 1977–78 | New England Whalers | WHA | 55 | 30 | 20 | 3 | 3246 | 174 | 3 | 3.22 | ? |
| 1978–79 | New England Whalers | WHA | 40 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 2396 | 132 | 3 | 3.31 | .883 |
| 1979–80 1979–80 AHL season The 1979–80 AHL season was the 44th season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams were scheduled to play 80 games each. The New Haven Nighthawks finished first overall in the regular season... |
Springfield Indians Springfield Indians The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with... |
AHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 120 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 | .923 |
| 1979–80 | Hartford Whalers Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97... |
NHL | 30 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 1754 | 107 | 1 | 3.66 | ? |
| 1980–81 | Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies (NHL) The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was... |
NHL | 37 | 9 | 18 | 14 | 1909 | 151 | 2 | 4.75 | ? |
Accolades
- Played in National Hockey League All-Star GameNational Hockey League All-Star GameThe National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
, 1968 - Played in World Hockey Association All-Star Game, 1972–73
- Named to World Hockey Association All-Star Third Team, 1972–73
- Played in World Hockey Association All-Star Game, 1973–74
- Named to World Hockey Association All-Star Third Team, 1973–74
- Played in World Hockey Association All-Star Game, 1974–75
- Winner, Ben Hatskin TrophyBen Hatskin TrophyThe Ben Hatskin Trophy was presented annually to the World Hockey Association's best goaltender.It was named in honour of Ben Hatskin, who founded the Winnipeg Jets.Ben Hatskin Trophy winners have included:*1979 – Dave Dryden, Edmonton Oilers...
(Top WHA Goaltender), 1977–78 - Named to World Hockey Association All-Star First Team, 1977–78