Dhane Smith

Dhane Smith (born January 22, 1992) is a  professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League and Chaos Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League. Smith began his career in 2009 with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves of the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League, where he won the Green Gael Trophy as the league's MVP in 2012. Smith also played for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks of Major Series Lacrosse, and the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association.

Smith won a gold medal at the 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships for Canada.

Heading into the 2023 NLL season, Inside Lacrosse ranked Smith the #1 best forward in the NLL.

Early life
Smith grew up in the heart of Kitchener. A lacrosse player from birth, he later in life transitioned into hockey and football, where he reached elite levels in both. Known by many as a multi-sport athlete, Smith led his high school football team to a championship final while running the offence as a gunslinging mobile quarterback.

Smith is a cousin of former NLL Defensive Player of the Year Billy Dee Smith.

Professional career

NLL 
Smith declined several offers from NCAA universities and instead declared for the 2012 NLL draft. Smith was drafted fifth overall by the Bandits in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft. He began his NLL career as a transition player, but eventually switched to forward. He ranked third on the Bandits in scoring in both 2013 and 2014. In 2016, he set a Bandits record for most goals in a season and set the NLL single-season record for most points in a season. At the end of the season, Smith was named NLL MVP, becoming the first Black player to win the award.

Smith won his second MVP award during the 2022 season, where he set the single season record for assists with 94, making him the fifth player ever to become a multi-time MVP. The following season, he broke his assist record, finishing with 96, and was runner-up to Christian Del Bianco for MVP, while being named first team All-NLL for the third time.

MLL 
Smith joined the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse ahead of the 2016 season despite having little experience in field lacrosse, where he played under coach Tim Soudan.

PLL 
Smith played for Chaos in the inaugural season of the Premier Lacrosse League, recording four points in five regular season games, and an additional four points in two playoff games. Smith became a focal point in the Chaos offense during the 2020 season, and in 2021, he finished second among all midfielders in assists with 13 before leading the playoffs with 18 points, en route to Chaos' first championship.

International career 
Smith has represented Canada at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship twice, winning gold medals in 2015 and 2019. He will represent Canada in field lacrosse at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship.

Personal life 
Away from lacrosse, Smith hosts a podcast, The Dhane and Josh Show, with Bandits and Chaos teammate Josh Byrne. Both Smith and Byrne, who are Black Canadians, have supported the Black Lives Matter movement.

Career Stats 
NLL:

PLL:

International:

Awards and achievements

 2013 NLL All Rookie Team
 2016 NLL MVP
 2016 NLL All-League First Team
 Holds Buffalo Bandits and NLL single season records for goals (72, 2016), assists (96, 2023), and points (137, 2016).
2021 PLL Second Team All-Pro
2021 PLL Champion
2022 NLL MVP
2022 NLL All-League First Team
2023 NLL Cup Champion
2023 NLL Cup MVP
2023 NLL All-League First Team

References

External links
NLL stats at pointstreak.com
NLL.com bio

1992 births
Living people
Black Canadian sportspeople
Buffalo Bandits players
Canadian expatriate lacrosse people in the United States
Canadian lacrosse players
Competitors at the 2022 World Games
Conestoga College alumni
Lacrosse forwards
Lacrosse midfielders
Lacrosse people from Ontario
Lacrosse transitions
Premier Lacrosse League players
Sportspeople from Kitchener, Ontario
World Games gold medalists