Dallas Smith
Encyclopedia
Dallas Earl Smith is a former National Hockey League
defenceman who played fifteen seasons for the Boston Bruins
.
farm team, Smith made his debut with Boston in 1960. He played the full 1961 season with the club, but thereafter spent most of the next seven seasons in the minor leagues, winning Second All-Star Team accolades with the Oklahoma City Blazers
of the CHL in 1966.
With expansion
in 1967 Smith made the Bruins for good and, partnered with superstar Bobby Orr
on defence, led the NHL in plus/minus
the first season the statistic was officially tabulated. He gained a reputation as a solid defensive defenceman—as well as a wide repute as the league's strongest man, bolstered by his ownership of a Manitoba farm. His best season was 1971, during which he had his career high of 45 points, played in the NHL All-Star Game and finished with a plus/minus of +94, the fourth highest total in history.
Smith was named interim captain of the Bruins in 1977 after longtime captain John Bucyk was injured, but left the team after a dispute, playing for the Canadian national team in the 1977 World Championships after that. He signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers
in December 1978 at the importuning of old teammate Phil Esposito
, but his skills having significantly diminished, retired at season's end.
Smith finished his NHL career with 55 goals, 307 assists and 959 penalty minutes in 890 games.
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...
defenceman who played fifteen seasons for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
Playing career
Signed as a teenager by the Bruins, after a junior career with their Estevan BruinsEstevan Bruins
The Estevan Bruins are a junior ice hockey team playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The team is based out of Estevan, Saskatchewan and plays at the brand new Spectra Place. Radio station CJSL AM 1280 broadcasts Bruins games.-History:...
farm team, Smith made his debut with Boston in 1960. He played the full 1961 season with the club, but thereafter spent most of the next seven seasons in the minor leagues, winning Second All-Star Team accolades with the Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
of the CHL in 1966.
With expansion
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
in 1967 Smith made the Bruins for good and, partnered with superstar Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
on defence, led the NHL in plus/minus
NHL Plus/Minus Award
The NHL Plus-Minus Award is a trophy awarded annually by the National Hockey League to the ice hockey "player, having played a minimum of 60 games who leads the league in plus/minus statistics." It is sponsored by a commercial business, and it has been known under five different names...
the first season the statistic was officially tabulated. He gained a reputation as a solid defensive defenceman—as well as a wide repute as the league's strongest man, bolstered by his ownership of a Manitoba farm. His best season was 1971, during which he had his career high of 45 points, played in the NHL All-Star Game and finished with a plus/minus of +94, the fourth highest total in history.
Smith was named interim captain of the Bruins in 1977 after longtime captain John Bucyk was injured, but left the team after a dispute, playing for the Canadian national team in the 1977 World Championships after that. He signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in December 1978 at the importuning of old teammate Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
, but his skills having significantly diminished, retired at season's end.
Smith finished his NHL career with 55 goals, 307 assists and 959 penalty minutes in 890 games.
Awards and achievements
- CPHL Second All-Star Team (1966)
- CPHL Championships (1966 & 1967)
- Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Championships (1970 & 1972) - Played in the NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe 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...
All-Star Game (1971, 1972, 1973, & 1974) - Named to play for Team CanadaCanadian national men's hockey teamThe Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
in the 1972 Summit SeriesSummit SeriesThe Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
, but declined, citing the necessity to work his farm. - "Honoured Member" of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of FameManitoba Hockey Hall of FameThe Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...
Trivia
- The lead singer of the Vancouver band Default is named after Smith. http://www2.jsonline.com/chat/jun02/smith062802.asp