Clint Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Clint Smith |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1991 | |||
Smith pictured c. 1944
|
|||
| Born | December 12, 1913 Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada |
||
| Died | May 19, 2009 (aged 95) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | AHL Cincinnati Mohawks USHL St. Paul Saints Tulsa Oilers NHL Chicago Black Hawks New York Rangers I-AHL Philadelphia Ramblers NWHL Vancouver Lions CAHL Springfield Indians |
||
| Playing career | 1932–1952 | ||
Clinton James "Snuffy" Smith (born December 12, 1913 – died May 19, 2009) was a famous Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He played as a centre in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers and the Chicago Black Hawks. After playing for 10 years in the NHL, he also became a coach and player in other leagues like the USHL and American Hockey League (AHL).
Contents
Playing Career
Early Days in Minor Leagues (1932–1937)
Before joining the NHL, Clint Smith played in several smaller professional hockey leagues. In his first professional season (1932–33), he played for the Springfield Indians and the Saskatoon Crescents.
He then moved to the Vancouver Lions in the North West Hockey League (NWHL). There, he quickly became a star. In his first year, he led the league in scoring with 25 goals. The next two seasons, he led the league in total points.
In 1936–37, Smith joined the International-American Hockey League (I-AHL). He played for the Philadelphia Ramblers. He finished second in scoring in the league with 54 points. He helped his team reach the finals of the first-ever Calder Cup championship.
New York Rangers (1937–1943)
Clint Smith started his NHL career with the New York Rangers in 1936. He scored his first NHL goal in just his second game. He quickly became a key player for the Rangers.
In his second full NHL season (1938–39), he led the team in scoring with 41 points. He also won the Lady Byng Trophy that year. This award is given to the player who shows the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. He only had one minor penalty all season!
The next season, he helped the Rangers win the Stanley Cup championship. They beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. This was a huge win for the Rangers. It was their last Stanley Cup for 54 years, until 1994.
Even though they won the Stanley Cup, Smith's scoring slowed down a bit that year. He stayed with the Rangers for six seasons.
Chicago Black Hawks (1943–1947)
In 1943–44, Clint Smith joined the Chicago Black Hawks. This move really helped his career. He played on a special line with two future Hockey Hall of Famers, Bill Mosienko and Doug Bentley.
That season, Smith scored 23 goals and set a new NHL record with 49 assists. This gave him a career-high of 72 points. The three players on his line (Mosienko, Bentley, and Smith) set another NHL record. Together, they scored 219 points that season! Smith also won his second Lady Byng Trophy that year. He only had 4 penalty minutes, showing his great sportsmanship again.
In 1944–45, Smith set another NHL record. He scored four goals in one period against the Montreal Canadiens. He shares this record with several other players. He continued to score many goals for the Black Hawks. He had three seasons in a row with 20 goals or more. In 1945–46, he scored a personal best of 26 goals. After his scoring dipped in 1946–47, he retired from the NHL.
Coaching in the Minors (1947–1952)
After leaving the NHL, Smith went back to the minor leagues in 1947–48. He joined the Tulsa Oilers in the USHL. He was both a player and the team's head coach. He led Tulsa in scoring with 71 points that season. He also won the Herman W. Paterson Cup as the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The next season, he continued to play and coach for the St. Paul Saints. He played for them for three seasons. In 1951–52, Smith coached the Cincinnati Mohawks in the AHL. He played in only two games that year. After this season, Smith retired from both playing and coaching.
Retirement and Legacy
After retiring from professional hockey, Clint Smith moved back to Vancouver. He played in "oldtimers" hockey games there. He also helped start the British Columbia Hockey Benevolent Association, which is now known as the Canucks Alumni. He even served as its president for a time.
In 1991, 39 years after he stopped playing professionally, Clint Smith was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor for a hockey player.
He was the last living member of the New York Rangers team that won the Stanley Cup in 1940. In a 2009 book called 100 Ranger Greats, Clint Smith was ranked as the 35th best player in the history of the New York Rangers.
Awards
- Won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1939 and 1944.
- Won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1940.
- Won the Herman W. Paterson Cup as USHL MVP in 1948.
See also
