Jason Smith (ice hockey)

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team = Ottawa Senators
league = NHL
position = Defence
shoots = Right
former_teams = New Jersey Devils
Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Oilers
Philadelphia Flyers
height_ft = 6
height_in = 3
weight_lb = 215
nickname = Gator [cite news | url = http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=357326&page=NewsPage&service=page | title = What's In A Name? | last = Schwartz | first = Adam | publisher = NHL.com | date = 2008-03-17 | accessdate = 2008-04-24] , Smitty
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date and age|1973|11|2
birth_place = Calgary, AB, CAN
draft = 18th overall
draft_year = 1992
draft_team = New Jersey Devils
career_start = 1993

Jason Matthew Smith (born November 3, 1973) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators. He has played in the NHL since the 1993–94 season.

Playing career

Smith was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He was named to the Western Hockey League's all-rookie team in 1992 and WHL first all-star team in 1993. He won the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL's top defenceman. Smith played on the gold medal-winning Team Canada at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 1993. He made his NHL debut with the Devils during the 1993-94 NHL season. He missed the majority of the 1994–95 season because of a knee injury, but played in one playoff game before returning to captain the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League to a Calder Cup championship in 1995, in the same year that the Devils captured the Stanley Cup.

In 1997 he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and then in 1999 he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When Doug Weight was traded to the St. Louis Blues, Smith was named Captain. He would be the longest serving captain in Oilers history (from 2001-07).

Smith was part of the Edmonton Oiler team that made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Oilers lost in game 7 of the finals to the Carolina Hurricanes. Smith had 1 goal and 4 assists in the 2006 Playoffs.

On July 1, 2007 Smith was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers with Joffrey Lupul for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson.

On October 1, 2007 he was named as the captain for the Flyers during the 2007-08 Season [cite news|title=Newcomer Jason Smith is named Flyers captain|publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer|first=Tim|last=Panaccio|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20071002_Newcomer_Jason_Smith_is_named_Flyers_captain.html|date=2007-10-02|accessdate=2007-10-02] .

Jason Smith is one of four currently active NHL players to be a captain of two different NHL teams, both the Philadelphia Flyers and the Edmonton Oilers.

On July 8, 2008, Jason Smith signed a two year contract with the Ottawa Senators worth $2.6 million US per season.

Career statistics

Transactions

* February 25, 1997 - Traded by New Jersey, along with Steve Sullivan and the rights to Alyn McCauley, to Toronto for Dave Ellett, Doug Gilmour and a third-round draft pick
* March 3, 1999 - Traded by Toronto to Edmonton for a fourth-round pick in the 1999 NHL entry draft and a second-round selection in the 2000 NHL entry draft
* July 1, 2007 - Traded by Edmonton, along with Joffrey Lupul, to Philadelphia for Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and a third-round pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft
* July 8, 2008 - Signed as free agent by Ottawa Senators

ee also

*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons
*List of AHL seasons
*List of WHL seasons

References

External links

*hockeydb|5044|Jason Smith