Buddy Smith Named ECHL Most Valuable Player

April 5, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Arkansas RiverBlades News Release

Smith, 28, a native of Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, set new team records with 74 assists and 104 points this season, and becomes the first RiverBlades' player ever to earn MVP honors. In addition, Smith also had his first career 30-goal season and was named first-team center on the All-ECHL Team last week.

The speedy 5-8, 145-pound center was the only player in the ECHL to eclipse the century mark this season. He finished 8 points ahead of Columbia's Rejean Stringer, who was second in the scoring race with 96 points.

Smith, the starting center for the Southern Conference at the 2003 Compuware ECHL All-Star Game this past January, scored his first goal of the year just 21 seconds into the season-opener. He finished the regular season with 11 power-play goals, 3 game-winning goals, and a shooting percentage of 18.3 percent. Earlier this year, Smith had an 11-game point streak from October 16th through November 17th, racking up 18 points in that span.

Buddy is in his second stint with Arkansas. He played 15 games last year, scoring 12 points (3-9) during that time. He finished last season with the Salzburg RedBulls in Austria and then signed with the RiverBlades as a free agent in the offseason.

The Blades are in the postseason for the first time since 2001, and host the Louisiana IceGators in Game 3 of the best-of-five Southwest Division Semi-Finals tomorrow night at the Alltel Arena. For more information, call 501-975-2327.

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ECHL Stories from April 5, 2003

• Falcons End Regular Season on Winning Note - Fresno Falcons
• Generals Win 3-2, Look to Close out Express - Greensboro Generals
• Gulls Out-Gun Anchorage, 6-4 - San Diego Gulls
• IceGators advance to SW Division Finals with 3-1 win - Louisiana IceGators
• Sea Wolves Sweep Ice Pilots, Winning 5-1 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
• IceGators advance with 3-1 win - Louisiana IceGators
• IceGators Eliminate RiverBlades - Arkansas RiverBlades
• Cyclones Take 2-1 Series Lead in Sudden Death - Cincinnati Cyclones
• Pride take game one in Charleston 3-0 - Myrtle Beach Thunderboltz
• Colonel Claw'd's Ransom To Raise Money For Junior Achievement - Bakersfield Condors
• Falcons Lose in Shootout - Fresno Falcons
• Storm's Doug Teskey Named Sun National Bank Saver Of The Month - ECHL
• Chiefs' Dominic Forget Named Sher-Wood Player Of The Month - ECHL
• All Along the Coast - ECHL
• Eklund Called Up to Springfield - Pensacola Ice Pilots
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• Anchorage Rises Up, Stuns San Diego - Alaska Aces
• Val Bitsoi Wins Ford Focus At Grizzlies Game - Utah Grizzlies
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• Roanoke rolls 3-1 to victory - Greensboro Generals
• Grizzlies End Home Drought With Late Victory Over Griffins - Utah Grizzlies
• Condors Add Three To Roster - Bakersfield Condors
• Buddy Smith Named ECHL MVP - ECHL
• Buddy Smith Named ECHL Most Valuable Player - Arkansas RiverBlades
• ECHL Transactions - ECHL
• Buzak to Retire - Long Beach Ice Dogs
• Pederson Named Forward of the Year - San Diego Gulls
• Inferno win Game two, 6-4 at the Carolina Coliseum - Greenville Grrrowl
• Sea Wolves Power Past Ice Pilots, 5-1 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
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