Clint Smith

Clint Smith
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1991
Smith pictured c. 1944
Born	(1913-12-12)December 12, 1913 Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died	May 19, 2009(2009-05-19) (aged 95) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	CAHL Springfield Indians
Playing career	1932–1952

Clinton James "Snuffy" Smith (December 12, 1913 – May 19, 2009) was a

In 1936–37, Smith joined the International-American Hockey League (I-AHL), precursor to the American Hockey League (AHL), and finished second in league scoring to Jack Markle with 54 points as a member of the Philadelphia Ramblers. He helped lead his team to the Finals of the inaugural Calder Cup championship, but lost to the Syracuse Stars in four games of what was a five-game series.

New York Rangers (1937–1943)

Smith began his NHL career with the Rangers with a short 2-game stint in

Despite winning the Stanley Cup that year, however, Smith's production began to tail off with the Rangers, scoring only 24 points that championship year. Despite improving to 33 points in 1942–43, Smith ended his 6-year tenure with the Rangers following that season.

Chicago Black Hawks (1943–1947)

Joining the

The following season, in 1944–45, Smith succeeded Bentley Smith set another NHL record with a four-goal period against the Montreal Canadiens on March 4, 1945 (Smith shares the record with several other players).^[2] The remainder of Smith's four-season stay in Chicago was not met with as much offensive success as his initial campaign with the team, but he did, however, record three straight 20-goal seasons, including a personal best 26-goal season in 1945–46. After his production dipped to 26 points in 1946–47, he retired from the NHL.

Coaching in the minors (1947–1952)

Smith returned to the minor leagues in 1947–48, joining the short-lived

The following season, he also did double duty playing and coaching in St. Paul Saints, where he played for three seasons. In 1951–52, Smith joined the Cincinnati Mohawks of the AHL, coaching them to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs and playing in a limited role, appearing in just 2 games. Smith retired following his one-season stint with the Mohawks both as a coach and player.

Retirement

Following Smith's retirement, he returned to Vancouver, where he had competed in the NWHL to play oldtimers hockey.^[2] He made his residence there and became a founding member of the British Columbia Hockey Benevolent Association, also known as the Canucks Alumni, and at one point held the position of president.^[2]

Thirty-nine years following his professional retirement, Smith was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.^[1]

At the time of his death on June 15, 2008, Ray Getliffe, a left winger who played for the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens was said to be the oldest living person to have played in the NHL. Later, it was reported that Smith was the oldest living person to have ever played in the NHL. Both these reports, however, overlooked players who had only played a limited number of games, such as Louis Holmes and Al Suomi.^[3] Getliffe, who died at the age of 94, was just several months younger than Smith at the time of his death, while Holmes and Suomi were 97 and 95, respectively at that time. On May 19, 2009, Smith died at the age of 95,^[2] leaving Suomi as the oldest living NHL player, at the current age of 99.

He was the last surviving member of Rangers 1940 Stanley Cup team.

In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Smith at No. 35 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.^[4]

Awards

• Won the
  Lady Byng Trophy in 1939 and 1944
  .
• Won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1940.
• Won the Herman W. Paterson Cup as
  USHL
  MVP in 1948.

Career statistics

Coaching statistics

See also

• Captain (ice hockey)

References