Dallas Smith (ice hockey)

Dallas Earl Smith (born October 10, 1941) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played fifteen seasons for the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League between 1960 and 1978. With the Bruins Smith won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. Internationally he played for the Canadian national team at the 1977 World Championships.

Dallas Smith
Born	(1941-10-10) October 10, 1941 (age 83) Hamiota, Manitoba, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins New York Rangers
National team	Canada
Playing career	1960–1978

Playing career

Signed as a teenager by the Bruins, after a junior career with their Estevan Bruins farm team, having a 45 point season during the 1959-60 season. This led to Smith getting called up to make his debut with Boston in 1960. He played the full 1961 season with the club, but thereafter spent most of the next seven seasons in the minor leagues, winning Second All-Star Team accolades with the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL in 1966. Also winning 2 CHL championships with the team in 1966 and 1967.

With the expansion in 1967 Smith made the Bruins for good and, partnered with superstar Bobby Orr on defence, led the NHL in plus/minus the first season the statistic was officially tabulated. Along side Orr Smith was also a valuable member of the Bruins penalty kill throughout his career. He gained a reputation as a solid defensive defenceman — as well as a wide repute as the league's strongest man, bolstered by his ownership of a Manitoba farm. Smith would help lead the Bruins to a Stanley cup in 1970. The following year though would be his best season was 1971, during which he had his career high of 45 points, played in the NHL All-Star Game for the first time and finished with a plus/minus of +94, the fourth-highest total in history. The following year smith would tally 32 points and once again making the all star game for a second year in a row. As well as helping the Bruins win another Stanley Cup. He would follow this up with a 31 one point season during the 1972-73 season and a 27 point campaign during the 1973-74 season. Making the All star game both of those seasons as well. Smith would then continue to be a constantly reliable defenseman for the Bruins for the next 3 seasons.

Smith began the 1977 season after an acrimonious contract dispute which saw him sign a one-year contract the day before the season began, and which caused him to miss training camp.^[1] He was named interim captain of the Bruins after longtime captain John Bucyk was injured, but left the team in March after a dispute, playing for the Canadian national team in the 1977 World Championships after that.^[2] He signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers in December 1977 at the importuning of old teammate Phil Esposito,^[3] but his skills had significantly diminished, retired at season's end.

Smith finished his NHL career with 55 goals, 307 assists and 959 penalty minutes in 890 games. He currently lives in retirement with his wife Sharlene in Phoenix, also owning farm land in Oregon.^[4][5]

In 2023 he would be named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time.^[6]

International

Smith was initially invited to play for team Canada in the 1972 summit series. But turned down the offer due to a prior commitment on his family’s farm.^[7]

He would eventually make 10 appearances for Team Canada during the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1958–59	Estevan Bruins	SJHL		47	5	15	20	41		14	4	2	6	26
1959–60	Estevan Bruins	SJHL		59	12	33	45	102		—	—	—	—	—
1959–60	Boston Bruins	NHL		5	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
1960–61	Boston Bruins	NHL		70	1	9	10	79		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Boston Bruins	NHL		7	0	0	0	10		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		3	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Pittsburgh Hornets	AHL		55	1	12	13	93		—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Portland Buckaroos	WHL		68	4	18	22	64		7	1	2	3	14
1963–64	Portland Buckaroos	WHL		64	4	14	18	57		5	1	0	1	6
1964–65	San Francisco Seals	WHL		70	14	16	30	79		—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	Boston Bruins	NHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL		69	5	23	28	52		9	0	5	5	10
1966–67	Boston Bruins	NHL		33	0	1	1	24		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Oklahoma City Blazers	CHL		29	3	9	12	44		11	2	0	2	20
1967–68	Boston Bruins	NHL		74	4	23	27	65		4	0	2	2	0
1968–69	Boston Bruins	NHL		75	4	24	28	74		10	0	3	3	16
1969–70	Boston Bruins	NHL		75	7	17	24	119		14	0	3	3	19
1970–71	Boston Bruins	NHL		73	7	38	45	68		7	0	3	3	26
1971–72	Boston Bruins	NHL		78	8	22	30	132		15	0	4	4	22
1972–73	Boston Bruins	NHL		78	4	27	31	72		5	0	2	2	2
1973–74	Boston Bruins	NHL		77	6	21	27	64		16	1	7	8	20
1974–75	Boston Bruins	NHL		79	3	20	23	84		3	0	2	2	4
1975–76	Boston Bruins	NHL		77	7	25	32	103		11	2	2	4	19
1976–77	Boston Bruins	NHL		58	2	20	22	40		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	New York Rangers	NHL		29	1	4	5	23		1	0	1	1	0
NHL totals				890	55	252	307	959		86	3	29	32	128

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1977	Canada	WC		10	0	2	2	4
Senior totals				10	0	2	2	4

Awards and achievements

• CPHL Second All-Star Team (1966)
• Adam’s Cup Championships (1966, 1967)
• Stanley Cup Championships (1970, 1972)
• Played in the NHL All-Star Game (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
• Seventh Player Award — 1973
• Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
• Named one of the top 100 Bruins players of all time.^[6]