Smith starred in the
Ontario Hockey League as an underage player with his hometown
Ottawa 67's and won the league's
Bobby Smith Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in
1981. That same season he scored 45 goals and 101 points in 54 games and was a highly touted draft prospect in the
1981 NHL entry draft, ultimately being selected second overall after future
Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk. Smith played in 304 games with the
Los Angeles Kings before a January 1986 trade sent him (along with
Brian Engblom) to the
Buffalo Sabres in exchange for
Ken Baumgartner,
Sean McKenna and
Larry Playfair. In 162 games with the Sabres, Smith recorded 89 points. On October 3, 1988, Smith was claimed in the
waiver draft by the
Edmonton Oilers, splitting the
1988-89 season between Edmonton and their AHL affiliate, the
Cape Breton Oilers. In March, 1989, Smith was traded with
Greg Adams to the
Vancouver Canucks in exchange for
John LeBlanc and a 1989 fifth-round draft pick (
Peter White). Smith played his final NHL game during the 1989–90 season before resuming his career in Europe. ==Injury==