Jason Smith, a veteran defenseman for the Ottawa Senators, announced his retirement earlier today.
Untitled Update
From CBC:
Smith, 35, was joined by Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray in announcing the decision. The veteran still had one year left on a two-year contract he signed with the Senators, but decided it was time to call it quits.
Known for his leadership and determination, Smith scored 41 goals and racked up 128 assists in 1,008 games, with 1,099 penalty minutes. He also played in 68 playoff games in his career, recording 13 points.
Smith played with five teams during his NHL career which began after being selected by the New Jersey Devils with the 18th overall pick of the 1992 NHL draft. However, he his best known for his stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers.
Smith spent five years as captain for the Oilers and accumulated a goal and five assists during their 2006 run to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals.
After being traded to Philadelphia in 2007, Smith was almost immediately named captain and helped the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference finals.
After one unimpressive year with the Senators, Smith decided to call it quits, clearing $2.6 million of cap room for the Senators. At todays press conference, general manager Bryan Murray praised Smith’s long career. From NHL.com:
Jason is everything that a general manager, coach and teammate wants in a player and he has shown that throughout his career. Jason may have only played one season for the Senators, but he left his mark on the game here as he has done across the NHL.
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