Blackhawks pay tribute to Hall great Clint Smith
With the death this week of Hall of Fame player Clint Smith at age 95, the NHL lost its final living member of the 1940 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks lost their oldest-living alumni.
"We are honored that Clint spent a portion of his Hall-of-Fame career in a Blackhawks uniform and offer his family our deepest condolences as we keep them in our thoughts and prayers," Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said in a statement released Friday morning. "Our young players can learn a great deal from Clint and his decorated career both on and off the ice. He will always be a part of our family and great tradition."
Smith, who was the oldest living Blackhawks alumni member at the time of his death, spent the final four seasons of his 11-year National Hockey League career with Chicago (1943-47), racking up 202 points (81 goals, 121 assists) and just 12 penalty minutes in 202 regular-season games.
Smith died Tuesday, and his death was announced Thursday by the Vancouver Canucks, an organization he spent considerable time with later in his life.
Smith, who played his first seven seasons in the NHL with New York Rangers (1936-43) before joining the Blackhawks, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound center won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1939 and 1944, an award given for skill and gentlemanly play. He had only 24 penalty minutes in 483 regular-season games. Smith had a four-season stretch in which he wasn't called for a penalty.
In the 1943-44 season, Smith set an NHL record with 49 assists while playing on a line with future Hall of Famers Bill Mosienko and Doug Bentley. The trio set a league scoring record by producing 219 total points.
Smith also shares the NHL record for most goals in a period with four, set on March 4, 1945, against Montreal.
He played his early hockey in Saskatchewan before moving to Vancouver in 1933 to play for the Vancouver Lions of the North West Hockey League. He led the league with 25 goals in his rookie season.
Following his NHL career, Smith played with the Tulsa Oilers of the USHL and was chosen as the league's most valuable player in 1948. He was a player-coach for the St. Paul Saints of the USHL and a full-time coach with the Cincinnati Mohawks of the American Hockey League in 1952.
Smith returned to Vancouver in 1953 to play old-timers hockey.
He was founding member of the British Columbia Hockey Benevolent Association, also known as the Canucks Alumni. He held various positions within the organization, including president.
Smith also retained ties to the Rangers organization throughout his life and took part in the team's 75th anniversary celebration nine years ago at Madison Square Garden.
Funeral plans were not immediately announced.
The Assiniboia, Saskatchewan native is one of seven Blackhawks players to capture the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Smith recorded career highs with 49 assists - then an NHL record - and 72 points in 50 contests with the Blackhawks in 1943-44. He served as Chicago's team captain in 1944-45, and helped the club reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs twice in his tenure, notching 15 points (6 goals, 9 assists) in 13 postseason games.
Smith spent the first seven of his 11 NHL seasons as a member of the New York Rangers, helping the franchise capture the 1940 Stanley Cup. Overall, he finished his career with 397 points (161 goals, 236 assists) and 24 penalty minutes in 483 career regular-season matchups.