CARDIFF, UK – As a junior he was voted MVP at the 2003 AJHL All-Star game. As a freshman the Criminal Justice Major was the University of Alaska Anchorage’s top-scoring defenseman. As an EIHL newcomer he scored the goal that established the franchise record for the Edinburgh Capitals.
Yet despite a scoring ability that also saw his time in the NCAA make history when he become the first UAA d-man to lead his team in points, the 27 year old is most renowned for being one of the most hardworking and solid d-men around.
It would be an understatement to say that Edmonton’s Mark Smith entered Cardiff with big skates to fill.
However, ask any of Smith’s teammates – or indeed any player in the Elite League – and they will tell you that the Devils 2010-11 Unsung Hero has more than lived up to expectations. After all, it is not every day that you find a d-man whose points’ tally is in double figures and, more to the point, whose defensive skills are such that he receives the accolade of being described as “a second goalie” by his team’s netminder.
Indeed with Stevie Lyle and his fellow Devils full of praise for the only player known to block more shots than Tylor Michel, it should come as no surprise that in the future – and once his playing days are over – Smith is contemplating a career where he would continue to put his body on the line for the benefit of others.
The most frequently occurring mottos with the emergency services are “ non sibi, sed omnibus” (“ not for self but for all”) and “to Protect and to Serve”; it took less than a single hockey season for Devils fans to realise that the slogans completely sum up the Canadian who so often slips under the radar.
While the frozen waters of the U.K.’s EIHL rinks might be – in every sense – thousands of miles away from the blazing fires tackled by North America’s police and fire departments, and the professions are – thankfully for hockey fans – at least another year away from being graced by Smith, already fire is within more than the d-man’s heart:
“I’m still not certain as to what I want to do after hockey, but for the last 10 years I’ve thought about joining the police or fire department.
“I have some family ties with the fire department: my uncle used to be in it, my cousin just got in, I have a few friends on the fire department as well and actually a good friend of mine is just in the stages of trying to get on, so I’ve definitely got a little inside info on knowing what exactly it takes to become a firefighter.
“Playing hockey and being in a team environment, it’s pretty similar to that in the fire department and then there’s the physical nature of both jobs.
“Obviously at the end of the day they’re both very important jobs and they need to be done, but as for which one I don’t know. It’s still kind of a toss up for which one I’d be more inclined towards – police or fire department.”
While Smith is not completely certain with regards to his future career, he is adamant about one thing: “I’d like to go work in the city of Edmonton because all my family is from the city or the surrounding area.”
However, while he harbours hopes of returning to his birthplace, it seems that this past season Smith has found himself a home-from-home in Cardiff: “I’ve really liked it here: the fans are awesome and the history of Wales and the whole of the U.K. is excellent – I really like that – and obviously the team’s a great group of guys and has done really well.
“This year I was just looking for something different than Edinburgh and the biggest thing for me was the university package they offered me down here: I had a couple of offers around the League to do with universities, but in the end I felt that Cardiff University was probably the best university overall and, of course, the Devils had a great team – so those were the main reasons.”
It says a lot about the 27 year old that he was determined to combine his pro sports career with the arduous task of completing an MBA a single year, but Smith appears determined to make the most of every situation:
““It’s hopefully going to be beneficial in the future. Sometimes it’s fairly demanding with our hockey schedule, but overall I’m enjoying it and me and [Stuart MacRae, Scott Matzka and Jon Pelle] are helping each other out where we can and it’s going fairly well right now.
“We’re currently taking six classes including accounting, marketing, organisational behaviour and stats. We go Monday through Friday and some days we’re in class for 6/7 hours.
“Our first exam week [10th-16th January] was pretty challenging, especially with the Wednesday away game in Sheffield – getting home at 4am then our exam was at 9a.m.! I was actually falling asleep during my exam, so hopefully that one turns out okay!”
What Smith neglects to mention, however, is that despite that match occurring right in the midst of a horrific 5 exams in 5 days, the d-man still came away from the game with Man of the Match.
Smith continued: “ Overall, I’d like to have at least one more year playing hockey where I’m not in school – it’s a lot more demanding than combining my undergrad and hockey was as there’s just more games and just the way the schedule is.”
He might have found there to be a few more challenges this year, but there been a notable positive addition for Smith: “It’s obviously great having my brother [Kenton] in the team and having him around all the time – for about 8/9 years I didn’t see him at all during the hockey season because we were playing in different cities and whatnot.”
The brothers have, however, played pro hockey together once before. In his first year pro, the Smiths teamed up with the Charlotte Checkers, an experience M. Smith “definitely” found beneficial: “We didn’t live together in Charlotte or anything, which we do now, but it was great to have him close there if I had any problems with anything.
“I’m a pretty quiet guy, sort of introverted, so it’s kind of hard for me to ask any older guy a question for help about anything, so with him there I could ask him basically anything I wanted about hockey side or off-ice issues or whatnot. Obviously it was good having a family member there to help you out.”
Uncountable times this season, however, the 6’0”, 200-lb Devil has been the one helping out his Devils family.
Indeed, it is not just Lyle who appreciated Smith’s contribution and when a man who has played 95 games in the NHL singles a player out to sing his praises you know that he’s something pretty special and Craig Weller, Smith’s teammate, said: “We’ve had great guys on the PK, like Mark Smith who just block ed so many shots .”
When asked about his outstanding contribution, Smith, however, simply said: “To be honest I’m just trying to play as solid as I can every night; obviously I’m not putting up a lot of points numbers-wise this season, but I’m just trying to do whatever I can to contribute to helping the team win.”
Indeed, Smith even goes so far as to brush off the lengths he goes to help his team: “Yeah sometimes blocking shots doesn’t feel too good if the puck hits you in a spot with no padding. I’ve definitely I’ve had a couple of injuries like broken fingers and I’m pretty sure I broke my hand one year. But injuries are going to happen – they’re part of the game, so just deal with it.”
It seems that Smith is more than willing to sacrifice himself for the overall outcome: “Obviously blocking shots just stops the opposite team from getting the puck to the net and anything I can do to help the team win I’m going to continue to do.”
It is undeniable that when it comes to winning, Smith played a crucial role in the Devils 22 game record breaking winning streak and was fundamental in the team’s run to the top of the League, the Challenge Cup semi final and the Play Off final.
While Smith, along with his teammates, is still clearly heartbroken about that final and the undeserving lack of silverware this year, it hasn’t dented his passion for the sport:
“I’d like to continue to play hockey as long as I possibly can, as long my body allows: another thing you’ve got to consider if you want to be a firefighter or police officer is that you can’t have any long-term debilitating injuries.”
Smith is clearly one for looking at the bigger picture and while he is still undecided upon his post-hockey life, there is no doubt that he would fit right into both the fire and police services: after all, the two prestigious departments follow the maxim “Courtesy. Professionalism. Respect.”
Already Smith has demonstrated time and time again all three qualities in abundance; it’s clear that no matter where he plays next and whatever career he later embarks on, those around him can rest assured that their backs are covered by someone who would not hesitate to put his body on the line for them.
And in a world where so much more than pucks can come hurt l ing in your direction at over 90mph, you can’t ask for anymore than that.
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