Matt Smaby

Matthew Walker Smaby (born October 14, 1984) is an American coach and former professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently the associate head coach of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team.

Matt Smaby
Smaby with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2007
Born	(1984-10-14) October 14, 1984 (age 40) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight	240 lb (109 kg; 17 st 2 lb)
Position	Defense
Shot	Left
Played for	Tampa Bay Lightning EHC München
NHL draft	41st overall, 2003 Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career	2006–2017 Coaching career
Current position
Title	Associate Head Coach
Team	North Dakota
Biographical details
Alma mater	University of North Dakota
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2017–2019	North Dakota (Student manager)
2019–2020	EC Salzburg (Assistant coach)
2021–2025	Waterloo Black Hawks
2025–present	North Dakota (Associate head coach)

Career

Smaby was drafted 41st overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Smaby had a three-year collegiate career with the University of North Dakota. He made his professional debut during the 2006–07 season playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (AHL). Smaby made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in the 2007–08 season playing 14 games with the Lightning.

Smaby played five years with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. He did not receive a qualifying offer from Tampa Bay after the 2010–11 season and became an unrestricted free agent. On July 14, 2011, Smaby signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks.^[1]

On June 6, 2013, Smaby signed his first European contract on a one-year deal with EHC München of the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).^[2] Prior to the 2014–15 season, Smaby signed a professional tryout contract with the Arizona Coyotes but was released on October 4, 2014,^[3] and returned to EHC München. In 2015, München extended Smaby's contract though the 2016–17 season.

Smaby retired from playing in 2017 and returned to the University of North Dakota to earn his degree while rejoining his collegiate team, the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, as team manager. After earning his degree in 2019, he returned to Europe as an assistant coach with EC Red Bull Salzburg of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smaby returned to the United States in 2020 and coached youth hockey in Grand Forks, North Dakota. On July 27, 2021, he was hired as the head coach of the Waterloo Black Hawks, a Tier I junior team in the United States Hockey League (USHL).^[4] On May 21, 2025 after the conclusion of the 2024–25 USHL season in which Smaby led the Waterloo Black Hawks to the Clark Cup finals, he was named North Dakota's associate head coach.^[5]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2001–02	Shattuck–Saint Mary's	HSMN		65	7	18	25	134		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Shattuck–Saint Mary's	HSMN		57	3	20	23	114		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	University of North Dakota	WCHA		39	1	6	7	81		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	University of North Dakota	WCHA		42	1	2	3	86		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	University of North Dakota	WCHA		46	4	15	19	113		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Springfield Falcons	AHL		66	2	14	16	43		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		58	1	5	6	66		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		14	0	0	0	12		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		25	2	4	6	30		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		43	0	4	4	50		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		33	0	2	2	27		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		7	0	2	2	9		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		32	0	0	0	17		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		30	2	7	9	46		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		26	0	4	4	16		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	EHC Red Bull München	DEL		42	3	13	16	64		3	0	0	0	10
2014–15	EHC Red Bull München	DEL		31	1	3	4	56		4	0	0	0	18
2015–16	EHC Red Bull München	DEL		42	0	7	7	60		14	2	1	3	20
2016–17	EHC Red Bull München	DEL		42	5	9	14	97		14	0	1	1	12
AHL totals				212	7	36	43	210		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				122	0	6	6	106		—	—	—	—	—
DEL totals				157	9	32	41	277		35	2	2	4	60

Awards and honors

Award	Year
All-WCHA Third Team	2005–06
WCHA All-Tournament Team	2006	[6]
WCHA All-Academic Team	2005-06