Jason Matthew Smith (born November 2, 1973 in
Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a professional ice
hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League for
the Philadelphia Flyers. He has played in the NHL
since the 1993–94 season. He is a physical defender
and is often mentioned as one of the most
under-rated players in the NHL. Smith has 158 points
in 868 NHL games.
Smith was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the
1992 NHL Entry Draft. 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 defenceman. Smith played on
the gold medal-winning Team Canada at the World
Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 1993. He made his
NHL debut with the Devils during the 1993-94 NHL
season. He missed the majority of the 1994–95 season
because of a knee injury but would return to captain
the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League
to a Calder Cup championship in 1995, in the same
year that the Devils captured the Stanley Cup.
In 1997 he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and
then in 1999 he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers.
When Doug Weight was traded to the St. Louis Blues,
Smith was named Captain. He would be the longest
serving captain in Oilers history (from 2001-07).
Smith was part of the Edmonton Oiler team that made
a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Oilers
lost in game 7 of the finals to the Carolina
Hurricanes. Smith had 1 goal and 4 assists in the
2006 Playoffs.
On July 1, 2007 Smith was traded to the Philadelphia
Flyers with Joffrey Lupul for Joni Pitkanen and
Geoff Sanderson.
On October 1, 2007 he was named as the captain for
the Flyers during the 2007-08 Season.
