Dallas Smith (ice hockey)

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Dallas Smith
1961 Topps Dallas Smith.JPG
Born (1941-10-10) October 10, 1941 (age 83)
Hamiota, Manitoba, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Playing career 1960–1978

Dallas Earl Smith (born October 10, 1941) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played fifteen seasons for the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League between 1960 and 1978. With the Bruins Smith won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. Internationally he played for the Canadian national team at the 1977 World Championships.

Contents

Playing career

Signed as a teenager by the Bruins, after a junior career with their Estevan Bruins farm team, having a 45 point season during the 1959-60 season. This led to Smith getting called up to make 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. Also winning 2 CHL championships with the team in 1966 and 1967.

With the 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. Along side Orr Smith was also a valuable member of the Bruins penalty kill throughout his career. 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. Smith would help lead the Bruins to a Stanley cup in 1970. The following year though would be his best season was 1971, during which he had his career high of 45 points, played in the NHL All-Star Game for the first time and finished with a plus/minus of +94, the fourth-highest total in history. The following year smith would tally 32 points and once again making the all star game for a second year in a row. As well as helping the Bruins win another Stanley Cup. He would follow this up with a 31 one point season during the 1972-73 season and a 27 point campaign during the 1973-74 season. Making the All star game both of those seasons as well. Smith would then continue to be a constantly reliable defenseman for the Bruins for the next 3 seasons.

Smith began the 1977 season after an acrimonious contract dispute which saw him sign a one-year contract the day before the season began, and which caused him to miss training camp. [1] He was named interim captain of the Bruins after longtime captain John Bucyk was injured, but left the team in March after a dispute, playing for the Canadian national team in the 1977 World Championships after that. [2] He signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers in December 1977 at the importuning of old teammate Phil Esposito, [3] but his skills had significantly diminished, retired at season's end.

Smith finished his NHL career with 55 goals, 307 assists and 959 penalty minutes in 890 games. He currently lives in retirement with his wife Sharlene in Phoenix, also owning farm land in Oregon. [4] [5]

In 2023 he would be named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time. [6]

International

Smith was initially invited to play for team Canada in the 1972 summit series. But turned down the offer due to a prior commitment on his family’s farm. [7]

He would eventually make 10 appearances for Team Canada during the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1958–59 Estevan Bruins SJHL 4751520411442626
1959–60 Estevan BruinsSJHL59123345102—————
1959–60 Boston Bruins NHL 51120—————
1960–61 Boston BruinsNHL70191079—————
1961–62 Boston BruinsNHL700010—————
1961–62 Hull-Ottawa Canadiens EPHL 30000—————
1961–62 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 551121393—————
1962–63 Portland Buckaroos WHL 684182264712314
1963–64 Portland BuckaroosWHL64414185751016
1964–65 San Francisco Seals WHL7014163079—————
1965–66 Boston BruinsNHL20002—————
1965–66 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 695232852905510
1966–67 Boston BruinsNHL3301124—————
1966–67 Oklahoma City BlazersCHL293912441120220
1967–68 Boston BruinsNHL74423276540220
1968–69 Boston BruinsNHL7542428741003316
1969–70 Boston BruinsNHL75717241191403319
1970–71 Boston BruinsNHL737384568703326
1971–72 Boston BruinsNHL78822301321504422
1972–73 Boston BruinsNHL78427317250222
1973–74 Boston BruinsNHL7762127641617820
1974–75 Boston BruinsNHL79320238430224
1975–76 Boston BruinsNHL77725321031122419
1976–77 Boston BruinsNHL582202240—————
1977–78 New York Rangers NHL291452310110
NHL totals890552523079598632932128

International

YearTeamEventGPGAPtsPIM
1977 Canada WC 100224
Senior totals100224

Awards and achievements

References

  1. ↑ "Dallas Smith Will Sit Out Rest Of Year". Bangor Daily News. March 3, 1977. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Team Canada Enthusiastic". Regina Leader-Post. April 5, 1977. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Rangers Get An Ex-Bruin, Dallas Smith". New York Times. December 20, 1977.
  4. ↑ "NHL old-timers caught in the crossfire of lockout". Toronto Star. November 22, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ Nachman, Corey. "WHERE ARE THEY NOW? What Happened To The Bruins Who Won The Stanley Cup 40 Years Ago?". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
  6. 1 2 Bruins Announce “Historic 100” Ahead of All-Centennial Team Reveal https://www.nhl.com/bruins/news/bruins-announce-historic-100-ahead-of-all-centennial-team-reveal
  7. ↑ "Happy Birthday to Boston Bruin Alumnus Dallas Smith". Black N' Gold Hockey. 2024-10-10. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
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