Jason Smith (b. 1973)

Jason Matthew Smith (born November 2, 1973) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League from 1993–94 to 2008–09.
==Playing career==
Smith was drafted in the first round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. As a member of the Regina Pats, he was named to the Western Hockey League's all-rookie team in 1992 and WHL first all-star team in 1993. He won the Bill Hunter Trophy as the WHL's top defenseman. Smith was a member of the gold medal winning Canadian team at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 1993. 
He made his NHL debut with the Devils during the 1993–94 NHL season, though the majority of the season was spent in the AHL with the Albany River Rats. He missed the majority of the 1994–95 season because of a knee injury, but played in one playoff game before returning to captain the River Rats to a Calder Cup championship in 1995, in the same year that the Devils captured their first Stanley Cup. Smith then moved up to the NHL for good, playing with the Devils until 1997 when he was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. 
On February 25, 1997, he was involved in a blockbuster trade, going to the Maple Leafs along with Steve Sullivan and the rights to Alyn McCauley in exchange for Doug Gilmour, Dave Ellett, and New Jersey's 4th round choice in 1999. Smith spent parts of three seasons in Toronto before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1999. When Oilers' team captain Doug Weight was later traded to the St. Louis Blues, Smith's strong leadership resulted in his being handed the 'C'. He would tie Wayne Gretzky as the longest serving captain in Oilers history at five seasons, wearing the 'C' from 2001 to 2007, excluding the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
Smith captained the Edmonton Oilers to a largely unexpected run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, in which they faced the Carolina Hurricanes, another dark horse team. However, the Oilers lost in the final game of a grueling seven game series to the Hurricanes. Smith contributed 1 goal and 4 assists during Edmonton's surprise playoff run. 
On July 1, 2007, Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe traded Smith, along with forward Joffrey Lupul, to the Philadelphia Flyers for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson, and Philadelphia's 3rd round choice in 2009.
In his first and only season in Philadelphia, Smith captained a rebuilt Flyers squad to an Eastern Conference showdown against their inter-state rivals from Pittsburgh. Despite the fact that the Penguins won the series, the Flyers' turnaround from the worst team in the league to their status in 2007–08 was a credit to Smith's leadership abilities.
==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
1990–91 	Regina Pats 	WHL 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	7 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	2
1991–92 	Regina Pats 	WHL 	 	62 	9 	29 	38 	168 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Regina Pats 	WHL 	 	64 	14 	52 	66 	175 	 	13 	4 	8 	12 	39
1992–93 	Utica Devils 	AHL 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	2
1993–94 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	20 	6 	3 	9 	31 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	41 	0 	5 	5 	43 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	7
1994–95 	Albany River Rats 	AHL 	 	7 	0 	2 	2 	15 	 	11 	2 	2 	4 	19
1994–95 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	64 	2 	1 	3 	86 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	57 	1 	2 	3 	38 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	21 	0 	5 	5 	16 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	81 	3 	13 	16 	100 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL 	 	60 	2 	11 	13 	40 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	12 	1 	1 	2 	11 	 	4 	0 	1 	1 	4
1999–00 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	80 	3 	11 	14 	60 	 	5 	0 	1 	1 	4
2000–01 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	82 	5 	15 	20 	120 	 	6 	0 	2 	2 	6
2001–02 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	74 	5 	13 	18 	103 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	68 	4 	8 	12 	64 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	19
2003–04 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	68 	7 	12 	19 	98 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	76 	4 	13 	17 	84 	 	24 	1 	4 	5 	16
2006–07 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	82 	2 	9 	11 	103 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL 	 	77 	1 	9 	10 	86 	 	17 	0 	2 	2 	4
2008–09 	Ottawa Senators 	NHL 	 	63 	1 	0 	1 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	1008 	41 	128 	169 	1099 	 	68 	1 	10 	11 	60
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Transactions==
* February 25, 1997 - Traded by New Jersey, along with Steve Sullivan and the rights to Alyn McCauley, to Toronto for Dave Ellett, Doug Gilmour and a third-round draft pick
* March 3, 1999 - Traded by Toronto to Edmonton for a fourth-round pick in the 1999 NHL entry draft and a second-round selection in the 2000 NHL entry draft
* July 1, 2007 - Traded by Edmonton, along with Joffrey Lupul, to Philadelphia for Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and a third-round pick in the 2009 NHL entry draft
* July 8, 2008 - Signed as free agent by Ottawa Senators
* September 2, 2009 - Retired from the NHL.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1973
Category:Albany River Rats players
Category:Calder Cup champions
Category:Calgary Canucks alumni
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New Jersey Devils draft picks
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Ottawa Senators players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players
Category:Regina Pats alumni
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Utica Devils players
Category:Retired in 2009