C. J. Smith (ice hockey)

C. J. Smith (born December 1, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey forward, currently playing with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
===Collegiate===
Smith played college hockey for UMass Lowell of Hockey East for three seasons while majoring in chemistry.
In his freshman season at UMass, Smith was named to the All Hockey East Rookie Team after he led the team with 16 goals, 19 assists for a total of 35 points. He also became the first River Hawk rookie since Scott Wilson in 2011 to score 30 points in a season. On April 21, Smith and Zack Kamrass were awarded the UMass Lowell Hockey Most Valuable Player Award. Smith was also awarded the River Hawks Rookie of the Year.
In his sophomore year, Smith was named to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team and won the River Hawks leading scorer award. He recorded his first career hat trick in an 8–1 win over Arizona State on January 30, 2016. In the 2016 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Smith helped Massachusetts–Lowell beat Boston University in the Quarterfinals to advance to the Semifinals and eventually the Championship. UMass lost in the Championship match against Northeastern 3–2.
In his junior year, Smith was named a semi-finalist for the Walter Brown Award as the best American-born college hockey player in New England. The River Hawks won the 2017 Hockey East Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and Smith was named to the All Tournament Team and Tournament MVP. On March 29, 2017, Smith chose to forgo his senior year at UMass and signed as an undrafted free agent by the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres.
===Professional===
Smith made his Sabres debut on April 2, 2017 in a 4–2 loss to the New York Islanders, in which he also got his first NHL point with an assist on a goal by Evander Kane. When Smith made his debut, he became one of only two players in league history to have been born in the state of Iowa, joining goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Smith played the 2017–18 season with the Sabres American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In his rookie season with the Americans, Smith was named to the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic on January 4, 2018. On July 16, 2018, Smith signed a one-year, two way contract with the Sabres worth $874,125.
Smith began the following season with the Rochester Americans after being cut from the Sabres training camp. On January 8, 2019, Smith scored his first NHL goal in the second period against the New Jersey Devils.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2010–11 	Academy of Holy Angels	USHS 		25 	17 	20 	37 	18 		1 	0 	0 	0 	10
2011–12 	Austin Bruins 	NAHL 		53 	13 	14 	27 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Austin Bruins 	NAHL 		60 	30 	29 	59 	22 		8 	4 	1 	5 	4
2013–14 	Muskegon Lumberjacks 	USHL 		13 	4 	1 	5 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Chicago Steel 	USHL 		46 	23 	17 	40 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	UMass-Lowell 	HE 		39 	16 	19 	35 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	UMass-Lowell 	HE 		40 	17 	22 	39 	50 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	UMass-Lowell 	HE 		41 	23 	28 	51 	46 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 		2 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		57 	17 	27 	44 	16 		3 	0 	2 	2 	0
2018–19 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		62 	28 	30 	58 	26 		3 	1 	1 	2 	0
2018–19 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 		11 	2 	0 	2 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		50 	12 	15 	27 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		13 	2 	1 	3 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
College 	College 	College
HE All-Rookie Team 	2015 	
HE All-Tournament Team 	2016, 2017	
HE Honorable Mention All-Star Team	2017 	
HE Tournament MVP 	2017 	
AHL 	AHL 	AHL
All-Star Game participant 	2017–18 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1994 births
Category:American men's ice hockey left wingers
Category:Buffalo Sabres players
Category:Chicago Steel players
Category:Ice hockey people from Iowa
Category:Muskegon Lumberjacks players
Category:Rochester Americans players
Category:UMass Lowell River Hawks men's ice hockey players
Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players