Stan Smyl

Stanley Philip Smyl (born January 28, 1958) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He was selected 40th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft and went on to play his entire NHL career with the team until his retirement in 1991. He featured in the 1982 Stanley Cup Final with the Canucks.

Smyl was born in Glendon, Alberta, but grew up in nearby St. Paul, Alberta. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship in 1977 and 1978.

Nicknamed "Steamer" by the Bellingham Blazer fans for his relentless and hard-nosed style of play, Advancing to a best-of-seven series with the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) champions for a berth in the 1975 Royal Bank Cup, the Blazers lost the Pacific regional title to the Spruce Grove Mets.

Following his playoffs with the Blazers, Smyl debuted at the major junior level with the New Westminster Bruins of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). He appeared in three playoff games, being a part of the Bruins franchise's first President's Cup as WCHL champions. Earning a berth in the 1976 Memorial Cup, they lost the Canadian major junior title to the Hamilton Fincups.

In 1976–77, New Westminster repeated as President's Cup champions as Smyl posted 66 points in the regular season, then 13 points in 13 playoff games. Smyl entered the NHL with the Canucks the following season in 1978–79. Playing on a line with fellow rookies Thomas Gradin and Curt Fraser, he scored 14 goals and 38 points over 62 games in his first season. He also proved to be physical, earning 89 penalty minutes as well. As the Canucks qualified for the 1979 playoffs as the final seed, Smyl scored his first NHL post-season goal in game one of the preliminary round against the Philadelphia Flyers. Vancouver won the game 3–2,

The following campaign, Smyl was involved in an on-ice incident during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 17, 1981. A week later, Rissling received a four-game suspension from NHL executive vice president Brian O'Neill. Smyl was not injured on the play and appeared in all 80 games for the Canucks in 1980–81, notching 25 goals and 63 points.

Early in the 1981–82 season, Smyl recorded a five-point game, notching a hat trick and two assists, in an 8–4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 31, 1981. Late in the campaign, he was named team captain, succeeding defenceman Kevin McCarthy, who had broken his ankle during practice. He went on to complete the campaign with 34 goals and 78 points over 80 games.

Despite finishing the regular season with a losing record, the Canucks embarked on a playoff run to the franchise's first Stanley Cup Final in team history. In the fifth and deciding game of the semi-finals against the Chicago Black Hawks, Smyl notched two goals in a 6–2 win to capture the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as conference champions, sending the Canucks to the Finals. Facing the New York Islanders, who had finished the regular season 41 points ahead of the Canucks and had won the Stanley Cup the previous two years, they were swept in four games. Smyl scored the Canucks' only goal in their 3–1 defeat in game four, tying the game at 1–1 in the first period on his own rebound before Mike Bossy scored twice to secure the Islanders' win. but remained with the team for one-and-a-half seasons thereafter until he was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in January 1984.

In his first full season as captain, Smyl recorded career highs with 38 goals and 50 assists. In addition to leading the club in scoring for the second time in his career, his 88 points established a club record (it was broken by Patrik Sundström's 91 points the following season). During that span, he reeled off a 13-game point streak from February 27 to March 23 that included eight goals and 27 points. Entering the 1983 playoffs, the Canucks attempted to defend their Clarence S. Campbell Bowl of the previous season, but were defeated in four games of a best-of-five series against the Calgary Flames. Smyl helped the Canucks stave off elimination in game three, scoring the game winning goal with 57 seconds to go in regulation, but they were defeated the following game.

The following season in 1983–84, Smyl's production dipped to 67 points. Vancouver met the Flames in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year, losing in four games once more. Smyl and the Canucks would not qualify for the playoffs again for five years. He remained in the 60-point range in the 1984–85 and 1985–86 seasons. On February 27, 1985, Smyl scored his 187th career goal to pass Don Lever as the Canucks' all-time leading goal-scorer. He was sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

The following season, the Canucks met the Nordiques in a game on October 13, 1986. Smyl fought Côté during the game, but he was consequently sidelined by re-injuring his knee. After spearing Richer late in the third period, Canadiens forward Claude Lemieux then sucker-punched Smyl in the head on his way to the bench.

Later in the season, Smyl became the Canucks' all-time leader in regular season games played with 648, passing Harold Snepsts in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on November 5, 1985. A little over a month later, Smyl was awarded the first and only penalty shot of his NHL career during a game against the Calgary Flames on January 16, 1987. He finished the campaign with 20 goals and 43 points over 66 games in an injury-shortened season. It marked the lowest points total of his career and the start of a decrease in production in the remaining four seasons before his retirement.

After recording eight consecutive 20-plus goal seasons, Smyl's production dipped to 12 goals and 37 points over 57 games in 1987–88. Injured during the season, Smyl was temporarily replaced by defenceman Daryl Stanley as team captain in his absence. The following year, Smyl appeared in his last playoffs with the Canucks, as well as his first in five years. The Canucks took the Presidents' Trophy winner Calgary Flames to seven games in the first round, but lost the deciding game in overtime.

In 1989–90, Smyl played his last season as team captain and recorded 16 points in 47 games. He was often a healthy scratch (non-dressing player) and did not score his first goal of the season until the final game on March 31, 1990, a 6–3 win against the Los Angeles Kings (he had not previously scored since April 2, 1989 – the final game of the previous season). At the start of the next season, Smyl resigned his captaincy and it was split throughout the season between Dan Quinn, Doug Lidster and Trevor Linden (the captaincy would be retained by Linden). Smyl had held the position for eight years, the longest tenure among Canucks captains all-time. He scored his last NHL goal on December 5, 1990, against the New Jersey Devils. He played his last game on March 16, 1991, against the New York Islanders. In 2000, he was inducted into the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame.

Smyl's all-time team records stood for more than a decade until Trevor Linden (who was part of the Canucks tri-captaincy after Smyl resigned the captaincy) overtook them, beginning with his goals mark in 2002–03. The following season in 2003–04, Linden played in his 897th game and recorded his 674th point as a Canuck to surpass Smyl on both marks. Smyl's last major mark of assists was passed by Linden on November 8, 2007, and then surpassed by Henrik Sedin in the 2009–10 season. Later Canucks captain Markus Näslund would, in turn, surpass Linden's marks in goals and points, but not games. Smyl was later present as Linden's retirement ceremony as he joined Smyl as the only two players to have their jersey numbers retired by the Canucks. Näslund joined them in that honour during the 2010–11 season.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver, Smyl was named the official ambassador for Molson Canadian Hockey House – a pavilion for hockey fans and players that was temporarily raised in Downtown Vancouver. He also ran a leg with the Olympic torch on the last day of the relay on February 12, 2010.

International play During his final year of junior, Smyl was selected to the Canadian national junior team for the 1978 World Junior Championships, held in Québec, Canada. Playing as the host nation, Canada earned the bronze medal, having finished third in round-robin play. Smyl notched a goal and an assist over six games.

Smyl got his first and only opportunity to represent Canada's men's team in 1985. After the Canucks became the first team eliminated from contention for the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hockey Canada selected Smyl and four other Canucks – Doug Halward, Doug Lidster, Tony Tanti and Cam Neely – to the national team for the 1985 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Facing the Soviet Union in the second game of the final round, Smyl scored the game winner, his only goal of the tournament, for Canada in a 3–1 victory. The win placed Canada in contention for their first gold medal at the World Championships in 24 years. However, they lost the gold medal to Czechoslovakia in a 5–3 loss. Smyl contributed two points in 10 games while playing on a line with Brian MacLellan and Bernie Nicholls.

Playing style Smyl was relatively small for an NHL player at 5 feet and 8 inches. He was honoured for his playing career, spent entirely with the Canucks, during a pre-game ceremony on November 3. In his third year behind the bench, Smyl was involved in his second Stanley Cup Final with the Canucks in 1994. Vancouver went to seven games with the New York Rangers, losing 3–2 in the deciding game. Smyl helped coach opposite Rangers assistant coach Colin Campbell, who was also a part of the Canucks' 1982 Cup run as a player.

Between 1994 and 1999, the Canucks' head coaching position changed five times. Ley overtook head coaching duties from 1994 to 1996 as Quinn returned to his executive positions as president and general manager. After Ley was fired late in the 1995–96 season, Quinn served as the Canucks' interim head coach until Tom Renney was hired for the beginning of the 1996–97 season. In turn, Renney was fired after one-and-a-half seasons and replaced by Mike Keenan. Throughout the changes, Smyl remained in his position as assistant under all four head coaches.

Minor league head coach In June 1999, Smyl was named head coach of the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. He became the second coach in Crunch history, replacing Jack McIlhargey, who had served for five seasons. He coached the Crunch to a .500 season in his debut behind the bench. In the 2000 off-season, the Canucks signed a two-year affiliation agreement with the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League (IHL). Smyl was reassigned to Kansas City, replacing their previous coach Paul MacLean.

When the IHL folded following Smyl's first season with the Blades, he was moved back to the AHL, named coach of the Manitoba Moose on June 28, 2001. He coached them to the second round in 2002–03. On March 2, 2004, he notched his 100th win as head coach of the Moose in a 3–0 win over the Milwaukee Admirals. However, as the Moose missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years in 2004, Smyl was dismissed as head coach on June 7, 2004, and reassigned within the Canucks organization. He was replaced by Washington Capitals assistant coach Randy Carlyle. Some Moose players later commented that Carlyle exhibited a stronger presence and was more demanding in comparison to Smyl.

Canucks front office Let go as Moose head coach, Smyl was named the Canucks' Director of Player Development in the 2004 off-season. Much of his time was spent overseeing the play of prospects within the Canucks' farm system – for example those playing with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL and Victoria Salmon Kings of the ECHL. He served in that capacity for four years until Mike Gillis took over as Canucks general manager from Dave Nonis after the 2007–08 season. Gillis expanded the Canucks' player development and scouting departments and assigned Smyl the newly created position as Director of Collegiate Scouting. After one season in that role, Smyl was re-positioned to a role as Senior Advisor to Gillis before the 2008–09 season on September 11, 2008. In his duties as Advisor he still partially oversees collegiate scouting.

On December 5–9, 2021, Smyl briefly served as interim general manager of the Canucks after the firing of Jim Benning.

On October 5, 2023, Smyl announced he was stepping away from his Hockey Operations position after 45 years but is remaining with the club as a community and business ambassador.

Personal life Smyl left home at 13 years old to pursue his hockey career in British Columbia. His wife was Jennifer Smyl, who died in September 2022.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1974–75 Bellingham Blazers BCHL 48 29 33 62 115 25 13 22 35 15 1974–75 New Westminster Bruins WCHL — — — — — 3 0 0 0 15 1975–76 New Westminster Bruins WCHL 72 32 42 74 169 19 8 6 14 58 1975–76 New Westminster Bruins MC — — — — — 4 5 1 6 21 1976–77 New Westminster Bruins WCHL 72 35 31 66 200 13 6 7 13 51 1976–77 New Westminster Bruins MC — — — — — 3 0 0 0 6 1977–78 New Westminster Bruins WCHL 53 29 47 76 211 20 14 21 35 43 1977–78 New Westminster Bruins MC — — — — — 5 4 10 14 0 1978–79 Vancouver Canucks NHL 62 14 24 38 89 2 1 1 2 0 1978–79 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 3 1 1 2 9 — — — — — 1979–80 Vancouver Canucks NHL 77 31 47 78 204 4 0 2 2 14 1980–81 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 25 38 63 171 3 1 2 3 0 1981–82 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 34 44 78 144 17 9 9 18 25 1982–83 Vancouver Canucks NHL 74 38 50 88 114 4 3 2 5 12 1983–84 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 24 43 67 136 4 2 1 3 4 1984–85 Vancouver Canucks NHL 80 27 37 64 100 — — — — — 1985–86 Vancouver Canucks NHL 73 27 35 62 144 — — — — — 1986–87 Vancouver Canucks NHL 66 20 23 43 84 — — — — — 1987–88 Vancouver Canucks NHL 57 12 25 37 110 — — — — — 1988–89 Vancouver Canucks NHL 75 7 18 25 102 7 0 0 0 9 1989–90 Vancouver Canucks NHL 47 1 15 16 71 — — — — — 1990–91 Vancouver Canucks NHL 45 2 12 14 87 — — — — —NHL totals 896 262 411 673 1,556 41 16 17 33 64

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1978 Canada WJC 6 1 1 2 6 1985 Canada WC 10 1 1 2 6

Awards

Junior Award Year Fred Page Cup (BCJHL title, Bellingham Blazers) 1975 President's Cup (WCHL title, New Westminster Bruins) 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 Memorial Cup (Canadian major junior title, New Westminster Bruins) 1977, 1978 Memorial Cup All-Star Team 1978 Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Memorial Cup MVP) 1978

Vancouver Canucks Award Year Most Exciting Player Award 1980 Cyclone Taylor Award (team MVP) 1980, 1983, 1986 Cyrus H. McLean Trophy (team leading scorer) 1980, 1983