James Stephen Smith
Encyclopedia
James Stephen Smith better known as Steve Smith, is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey
defenceman and current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers
. He played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) from 1984–85 to 2000–01. Although he was regarded as a top defenceman during his 16-year NHL career, he is best-remembered for scoring a critical own goal
in the playoffs of his rookie year.
in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
in the 6th round, 111th overall. He began his NHL career in 1985, playing in 55 regular season games and six playoff games. On April 30, 1986 (his 23rd birthday), Smith and the Oilers were playing in Game 7 of the Smythe Division
Final against the arch-rival
Calgary Flames
. With 14:46 remaining in the third period, and the score tied at two, he made a pass from behind his own net that ricocheted off goaltender
Grant Fuhr
and into the Edmonton net. The Oilers never recovered and ultimately lost the series, while Calgary went on to the Stanley Cup Finals
. Flames forward
Perry Berezan
was credited with scoring this series-clinching goal.
Though devastated by this mishap, Smith remained an Edmonton Oiler defensive mainstay, winning the Stanley Cup the next two seasons, and a third one in 1990. Smith played in Edmonton until the end of the 1990–91 season. After leaving Edmonton, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks until 1997. After announcing his retirement due to injury following the 1996–97 NHL season, he made a comeback and played three seasons with the Calgary Flames, retiring for good in December 2000.
International statistics
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
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...
defenceman and current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. He played in the National Hockey League
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...
(NHL) from 1984–85 to 2000–01. Although he was regarded as a top defenceman during his 16-year NHL career, he is best-remembered for scoring a critical own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
in the playoffs of his rookie year.
Playing career
Smith was drafted by the Edmonton OilersEdmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
in the 6th round, 111th overall. He began his NHL career in 1985, playing in 55 regular season games and six playoff games. On April 30, 1986 (his 23rd birthday), Smith and the Oilers were playing in Game 7 of the Smythe Division
Smythe Division
The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
Final against the arch-rival
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
. With 14:46 remaining in the third period, and the score tied at two, he made a pass from behind his own net that ricocheted off 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...
Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
and into the Edmonton net. The Oilers never recovered and ultimately lost the series, while Calgary went on to the Stanley Cup Finals
1986 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...
. Flames forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
Perry Berezan
Perry Berezan
Perry Edmund Berezan is a former National Hockey League centre. He was drafted in the third round, 55th overall, by the Calgary Flames in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft....
was credited with scoring this series-clinching goal.
Though devastated by this mishap, Smith remained an Edmonton Oiler defensive mainstay, winning the Stanley Cup the next two seasons, and a third one in 1990. Smith played in Edmonton until the end of the 1990–91 season. After leaving Edmonton, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks until 1997. After announcing his retirement due to injury following the 1996–97 NHL season, he made a comeback and played three seasons with the Calgary Flames, retiring for good in December 2000.
Awards
- 1986–87 - 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...
- 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...
(EdmontonEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
) - 1987–88 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1989–90 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 2009–102009–10 NHL seasonThe 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
- NHL - Stanley Cup (ChicagoChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
) (Pro scout)
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1980–81 | London Knights London Knights The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
62 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 141 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | London Knights | OHL | 58 | 10 | 36 | 46 | 207 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 13 | ||
| 1982–83 | London Knights | OHL | 50 | 6 | 35 | 41 | 133 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 1982–83 1982–83 AHL season The 1982–83 AHL season was the 47th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season, and won their fourth Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Moncton Alpines Moncton Alpines Moncton Alpines could refer to:*Moncton Wildcats - the former name of a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League*Moncton Golden Flames - the former name of a defunct professional ice hockey team based in Moncton... |
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... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Brantford Alexanders Brantford Alexanders The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario.-History:... |
OHL | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 1983–84 AHL season The 1983–84 AHL season was the 48th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league initiates two new awards. The Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award is first awarded to the league's "best goaltender." The Jack A... |
Moncton Alpines | AHL | 64 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 176 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 1984–85 AHL season The 1984–85 AHL season was the 49th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Whalers finished first overall in the regular season... |
Nova Scotia Oilers Nova Scotia Oilers The Nova Scotia Oilers were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1984 to 1988. The Oilers played their home games at the Halifax Metro Centre, and were the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, whose logo theirs resembled.The Oilers... |
AHL | 68 | 2 | 28 | 30 | 161 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 40 | ||
| 1985–86 1985–86 AHL season The 1985–86 AHL season was the 50th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season... |
Nova Scotia Oilers | AHL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 55 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 166 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 1986–87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 62 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 165 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 45 | ||
| 1987–88 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 12 | 43 | 55 | 286 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 55 | ||
| 1988–89 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 35 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 97 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 20 | ||
| 1989–90 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 75 | 7 | 34 | 41 | 171 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 37 | ||
| 1990–91 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 77 | 13 | 41 | 54 | 193 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 45 | ||
| 1991–92 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 76 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 304 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 16 | ||
| 1992–93 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 78 | 10 | 47 | 57 | 214 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 1993–94 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 57 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 174 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 48 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 128 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | ||
| 1995–96 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 37 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 71 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 1996–97 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1998–99 | Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
NHL | 69 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 20 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 804 | 72 | 303 | 375 | 2139 | 134 | 11 | 41 | 52 | 288 | ||||
International play
Played for Canada in:- 1991 Canada Cup1991 Canada CupThe 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Canada | CC Canada Cup (ice hockey) The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional... |
8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | |||