C. J. Smith (ice hockey)

Last updated

C. J. Smith
C.J. Smith (26105552508) (cropped2).jpg
Smith at the 2018 AHL All-Star Game
Born (1994-12-01) December 1, 1994 (age 30)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Left
DEL team
Former teams		 Adler Mannheim
Buffalo Sabres
Carolina Hurricanes
JYP Jyväskylä
Barys Astana
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2017–present

Connor Jeffrey Smith (born December 1, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently on a try-out contract for Adler Mannheim of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL).

Contents

Playing career

Amateur

Smith grew up playing hockey in Des Moines before moving with his family to Minnesota when he was 14. [1] He played college hockey for UMass Lowell of Hockey East for three seasons while majoring in chemistry. [2] In his freshman season at UMass, Smith was named to the All Hockey East Rookie Team after he led the team with 16 goals, 19 assists for a total of 35 points. He also became the first River Hawk rookie since Scott Wilson in 2011 to score 30 points in a season. [3] On April 21, Smith and Zack Kamrass were awarded the UMass Lowell Hockey Most Valuable Player Award. Smith was also awarded the River Hawks Rookie of the Year. [4]

In his sophomore year, Smith was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team and won the River Hawks leading scorer award. [2] He recorded his first career hat trick in an 8–1 win over Arizona State on January 30, 2016. [5] In the 2016 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Smith helped Massachusetts–Lowell beat Boston University in the Quarterfinals to advance to the Semifinals and eventually the Championship. [2] UMass lost in the Championship match against Northeastern 3–2. [6]

In his junior year, Smith was named a semi-finalist for the Walter Brown Award as the best American-born college hockey player in New England. [7] The River Hawks won the 2017 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and Smith was named to the All Tournament Team and Tournament MVP. [8] On March 29, 2017, Smith chose to forgo his senior year at UMass and signed as an undrafted free agent by the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres. [9]

Professional

C. J. Smith during the 2022 Calder Cup Finals C. J. Smith during the 2022 Calder Cup Finals.jpg
C. J. Smith during the 2022 Calder Cup Finals

Smith made his Sabres debut on April 2, 2017 in a 4–2 loss to the New York Islanders, in which he also got his first NHL point with an assist on a goal by Evander Kane. [10] When Smith made his debut, he became one of only two players in league history to have been born in the state of Iowa, joining goaltender Scott Clemmensen. [11]

Smith played the 2017–18 season with the Sabres American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In his rookie season with the Americans, Smith was named to the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic on January 4, 2018. [12] On July 16, 2018, Smith signed a one-year, two way contract with the Sabres worth $874,125. [13]

Smith began the following season with the Rochester Americans after being cut from the Sabres training camp. [14] On January 8, 2019, Smith scored his first NHL goal in the second period against the New Jersey Devils. [15]

As a free agent after five seasons within the Sabres organization, Smith was signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 28, 2021. [16]

On August 2, 2022, Smith was signed as a free agent to a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Rangers. [17]

On November 20, 2023, Smith signed a one-year contract with JYP Jyväskylä of the Finnish Liiga. [18]

On January 20, 2025, Adler Mannheim of the German Ice Hockey League announced it had signed Smith to a try-out contract. [19]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2010–11 Academy of Holy Angels USHS 2517203718100010
2011–12 Austin Bruins NAHL 5313142720—————
2012–13Austin BruinsNAHL603029592284154
2013–14 Muskegon Lumberjacks USHL 134156—————
2013–14 Chicago Steel USHL4623174010—————
2014–15 UMass-Lowell HE 3916193528—————
2015–16 UMass-LowellHE4017223950—————
2016–17 UMass-LowellHE4123285146—————
2016–17 Buffalo Sabres NHL 20110—————
2017–18 Rochester Americans AHL 571727441630220
2018–19 Rochester AmericansAHL622830582631120
2018–19 Buffalo SabresNHL112020—————
2019–20 Rochester AmericansAHL5012152718—————
2020–21 Rochester AmericansAHL1549136—————
2020–21 Buffalo SabresNHL10000—————
2021–22 Chicago Wolves AHL6024345818163694
2021–22 Carolina Hurricanes NHL10000—————
2022–23 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL214266—————
2023–24 JYP Jyväskylä Liiga 338122010—————
NHL totals152130—————

Awards and honors

AwardYear
College
HE All-Rookie Team 2015
HE All-Tournament Team 2016, 2017
HE Honorable Mention All-Star Team2017
HE Tournament MVP2017
AHL
All-Star Game 2017–18 [12]
Calder Cup champion 2022 [20]

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References

  1. ↑ "C.J. Smith, central Iowa's first NHL goal-scorer, hopes to take his pro game another step further".
  2. 1 2 3 "C.J. SMITH". goriverhawks.com. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  3. ↑ "C.J. SMITH NAMED TO HOCKEY EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM". goriverhawks.com. March 28, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  4. ↑ "RIVER HAWKS NAME ZACK KAMRASS AND C.J. SMITH TEAM MVP'S". goriverhawks.com. April 21, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  5. ↑ "C.J. Smith's hat trick propels Lowell to sweep of Arizona State". uscho.com. January 30, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  6. ↑ Kyle Gaudette (March 20, 2016). "Scalding Northeastern wins Hockey East Championship over UMass Lowell". The UMass-Lowell Connector. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  7. ↑ "THREE RIVER HAWKS NAMED SEMIFINALISTS FOR THE WALTER BROWN AWARD". goriverhawks.com. February 6, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  8. ↑ "WEEKLY RELEASE: UMASS LOWELL CLAIMS THIRD HOCKEY EAST TOURNAMENT TITLE". hockeyeastonline.com. March 20, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  9. ↑ "C.J. SMITH SIGNS WITH THE BUFFALO SABRES". goriverhawks.com. March 29, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Smith earns point in debut as Sabres fall to Isles". Buffalo Sabres. April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2017.
  11. ↑ @PR_NHL (April 2, 2017). "Per @EliasSports: C.J. Smith is the second Iowa-born player to appear in an NHL game, joining goaltender Scott Clemmensen (191 GP)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. 1 2 "SMITH, ULLMARK NAMED TO AHL ALL-STAR ROSTER". amerks.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Sabres, C.J. Smith agree to one-year contract". sportsnet.ca. July 16, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  14. ↑ Harrington, Mike (September 26, 2018). "Oglevie, Smith among latest cuts to Sabres' roster". Buffalo News. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  15. ↑ Jourdon LaBarber (January 8, 2019). "Pilut, Smith help fuel 5-goal 2nd period in win over Devils". NHL.com. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Canes agree to terms with C.J. Smith". Carolina Hurricanes. July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Rangers agree to terms with C.J. Smith". New York Rangers. August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  18. ↑ "JYP vahvistuu kovan luokan yhdysvaltalaishyökkääjällä". jypliiga.fi (in Finnish). November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Former Sabre, Hurricane Offered Try-Out With German Club". The Hockey News . January 20, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Chicago is Calder City again". American Hockey League. June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
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