Gary Smith (ice hockey player)

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CanadaCanada  Gary Smith Ice hockey player
Gary Smith (ice hockey player)
Date of birth February 4, 1944
place of birth Ottawa , Ontario , Canada
Nickname Suitcase
size 193 cm
Weight 93 kg
position goalkeeper
Catch hand Left
Career stations
1961–1962 St. Michael's Majors
1962-1963 Neil McNeil Maroons
1963-1964 Toronto Marlboros
1964-1965 Victoria Maple Leafs
Rochester Americans
1967-1971 Oakland / California Seals
1971-1973 Chicago Black Hawks
1973-1976 Vancouver Canucks
1976-1977 Minnesota North Stars
1977-1988 Washington Capitals
1978 Minnesota North Stars
Indianapolis Racers
1978-1980 Winnipeg Jets

Gary Edward "Suitcase" Smith (born February 4, 1944 in Ottawa , Ontario ) is a former Canadian ice hockey goalkeeper who worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs , Oakland Seals and California Golden Seals , Chicago Black Hawks , Vancouver Canucks , Minnesota from 1965 to 1980 North Stars , Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League as well as the Indianapolis Racers and also the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association .

Career

During his junior years with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors , he won the 1964 Memorial Cup .

After appearances with the Victoria Maple Leafs in the WHL , the Tulsa Oilers in the CPHL and the Rochester Americans in the AHL , he made his debut in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1965/66 season . In two seasons he was allowed to play five games in Toronto, but with 14 goals conceded and without a win, he could not prevail.

At the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft , the Oakland Seals brought him into their squad. In the first year he was number 2 behind Charlie Hodge in the goal of the new team, but from the 1968/69 season he swapped roles with the experienced veteran. In the 1970/71 season he was in 71 games in the goal of the Seals, a mark that had not yet reached a goalkeeper. After 48 defeats, the most that a goalkeeper had to accept in the history of the NHL in one season, he moved to the 1971/72 season with the Chicago Black Hawks . There he was behind Tony Esposito back-up goalkeeper, with whom he could win the Vezina Trophy . To sign Dale Tallon from the Vancouver Canucks , Smith had to move to the Canucks.

He was a regular goalkeeper in Vancouver for three years, but after his move to the Minnesota North Stars he was often back on the bench in the 1976/77 season . So he signed with the Washington Capitals as a free agent . Before the end of the season he returned to Minnesota, but played mostly for the Fort Worth Texans in the Central Hockey League .

The move to the WHA and the Indianapolis Racers should bring a new challenge . Here he was on the team with young Wayne Gretzky . After the team was disbanded, he moved to the Winnipeg Jets . The team reached the final series of the Avco World Trophy . Here he met Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers . They won the title with the Jets, but the last goal in WHA history was scored by Dave Semenko and Smith was the goalkeeper defeated.

With the Jets he returned to the NHL and ended his career after a season.

His father Des Smith had with the Boston Bruins to the Stanley Cup won, his brother Brian denied 105 games in the NHL and WHA.

statistics

Seasons Games Victory cut Conceded goal Shutouts
NHL Regular Season 14th 532 0.325 3.39 26th
NHL playoffs 6th 20th 0.250 4.28 1
WHA regular season 1 22nd 0.318 3.23 0
WHA playoffs 1 10 0.800 3.73 0

Sporting successes

Personal awards

Records

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Dan Diamond (Ed.): Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. Andrews McMeel Publishing, Kansas City, 1998, pp. 1706, ISBN 0-8362-7114-9
personal data
SURNAME Smith, Gary
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Gary Edward (full name); Smith, Suitcase (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian ice hockey goalkeeper
DATE OF BIRTH February 4, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Ottawa , Ontario