Hawks playoff hero Smith taking nothing for granted

Depending on which observer you talk to at Blackhawks training camp, rookie Ben Smith is either fighting for a roster spot or is a sure bet to play on one of the top three lines.

I've got to think he's a lock for a job.

The 23-year-old Smith is taking nothing for granted, however, even after his impressive stint with the Hawks late last season that included scoring 3 goals in seven games in the first-round playoff series with Vancouver.

It was Smith's overtime goal in Game 6 at the United Center that sent the series back to Canada, where the Hawks dropped the seventh game in OT.

“That helped, having confidence I played at this level,” Smith said. “But you come to camp and it's time to prove it again and again.

“That's how you've got to approach it. You can never get satisfied, especially when you're a young guy. There's always someone coming for your spot.

“I've just come here to try and win a spot.”

The coaching staff and his teammates like Smith … a lot. They appreciate his gritty style and knack for always being around the puck despite his size (5-feet-11, 205 pounds).

Coach Joel Quenneville isn't about to make any promises, but the way he talks about Smith it would seem that Smith is going to be around on opening night in two weeks.

“Ben's looked good,” Quenneville said. “He's one of those guys that you know he prepared himself to take that next step this summer.

“You look at his fitness testing and watch him on the ice, nobody works harder, nobody is more determined. He's one of those kids that you really have an appreciation for because he brings it every day and he's got a pretty good mind for the game.”

Yet while Quenneville certainly remembers how Smith stood out in the playoffs, he says the versatile forward still must continue to bring it all through training camp as he competes for one of the few roster spots available.

“We make our decisions basically on what we see recently as opposed to the history,” Quenneville said. “But Ben is one guy you have appreciate for his versatility.

“He is predictable; game in and game out you know what you're going to get from Ben. In a critical situation (in the playoffs) he handled that role very well.”

Smith, a sixth-round draft pick in 2008, can play wing and center, which makes him even more valuable in Quenneville's eyes.

“I don't know if he's going to be playing center, right wing or left wing, but you know Ben usually finds a way to get the job done, and hopefully that will be the case,” Quenneville said.

Smith doesn't see his size as a disadvantage.

“It's not going to change,” he said. “I have to play to my strength and use that low center of gravity and try to protect the puck and be in front of the net.

“I watch that Ryan Callahan a lot with the Rangers,” Smith said of the 5-11, 188-pound New York captain. “He's not a big guy, but he does all the dirty things. He gets to the front of the net, blocks shots and plays hard.”

tsassone@dailyherald.com