Nathan Smith (born February 9, 1982) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player from Sherwood Park, Alberta. He played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

with the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

and the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...

Playing career

Smith was a first-round draft pick, drafted 23rd overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the

. After spending four seasons with the

Swift Current Broncos The Swift Current Broncos are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, the Broncos relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1974, and were known as the Lethbridge Broncos, before returning to S ...

of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...

, Smith signed his first professional contract with the Canucks on May 31, 2002. He made his professional debut in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

with the

Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre. The fran ...

in the 2002-03 season. His time spent in the Vancouver organization was filled with injuries, including a near-career-ending knee injury suffered during his 3rd season. Smith signed as a free agent with the

on July 12, 2007. On April 27, 2008, Smith played in over 13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also scored his first NHL goal which was later called off. Smith served as captain for the AHL affiliate team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and took his team to the Calder Cup finals, which they lost to the Chicago Wolves in game 5 of the finals. On July 10, 2008, Smith signed a one-year deal with the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

. He was assigned to affiliate, the

Lake Erie Monsters A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a depression (geology), basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land an ...

of the AHL, for the 2008–09 season, and served as captain before suffering a season-ending knee injury on January 23, 2009. On July 22, 2009, Smith signed a one-year deal with the

. In the 2009–10 season, Smith made his return to the NHL on October 14, 2009, in a 3-2 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks. He played in 9 games with the Wild throughout the season, but primarily played with its AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, scoring 37 points in 67 games. On August 6, 2010, Smith left North America and signed a one-year contract with

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

team Augsburger Panther of the DEL where he served as team captain. Smith returned to the American Hockey League the following season in 2011–12, signing a one-year contract with the

Syracuse Crunch The Syracuse Crunch are a professional ice hockey team based in Syracuse, New York. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning. They play in they home games at the Upstate Medical Univer ...

on August 11, 2011. Limited to 18 games, Smith suffered a career-ending concussion at the beginning of the season.

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Nathan 1982 births Augsburger Panther players Canadian ice hockey centres Expatriate ice hockey players in Germany Houston Aeros (1994–2013) players Lake Erie Monsters players Living people Manitoba Moose players Minnesota Wild players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States NHL first-round draft picks Pittsburgh Penguins players Ice hockey people from Edmonton Swift Current Broncos players Syracuse Crunch players Vancouver Canucks draft picks Vancouver Canucks players Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players 21st-century Canadian sportsmen