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Former ECHL All-Star Smith Named MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus Of The Month

December 7, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


PRINCETON, N.J. - Former ECHL All-Star and current Dallas Stars goaltender Mike Smith is the MeiGray Group ECHL Alumnus of the Month for November.

The 25 year old, who was selected to the 2006-07 NHL All-Rookie Team, was 4-2-0 with a shutout, a 1.92 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in six games in November.

The Kingston, Ontario native stopped 17 shots in a 6-1 win against Colorado on Nov. 16 before stopping all 22 shots in a 3-0 win against Los Angeles on Nov. 19 for his first shutout of the season and fourth of his career. After recording 17 saves in a 2-1 win against defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim on Nov. 21, Smith made a season-high 39 saves in a 2-1 win at the New York Rangers on Nov. 25.

Selected in the fifth round (161st overall) by Dallas in the 2001 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Smith is 6-4-0 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 2.40 and a save percentage of .909 in 10 games for Dallas after going 12-5-2 with a goals-against average of 2.23 and a save percentage of .912 in 23 games for the Stars as a rookie. He became the first goaltender in Stars history to record a shutout in his NHL debut, making 22 saves in a 4-0 win at Phoenix on Oct. 21, 2006.

In his first professional season in 2002-03, Smith was named to the ECHL All-Star Game and was 11-10-4 with a goals-against average of 2.55 and a save percentage of .910 in 27 games with Lexington while also playing in the AHL with Utah where he was 5-5-0 with a goals-against average of 3.23 and a save percentage of .906 in 11 games.

In his third professional start on Oct. 22, 2002, Smith picked up not only his first win and his first shutout, but also scored his first-ever goal in a 2-0 win over Dayton. With Lexington leading 1-0 late in the third period, Dayton dumped the puck behind the net where Smith gained control and flipped it out of the zone. The puck hit in the center face off circle and then slid untouched into the empty net at 19:04. The goal by the then 20-year-old Smith, who is the youngest goaltender ever to score a goal in a professional game, was featured on ESPN's NHL 2Night.

Smith was 25-19-6 with a goals-against average of 2.50 in 50 games for Iowa in the AHL in 2005-06. He had three assists on Mar. 3 to tie the AHL record for most assists by a goaltender. New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was the last to accomplish the feat in 1993 with Utica. He spent 2003-04 with Utah of the AHL and was 8-11-0 with a goals-against average of 2.83 and a save percentage of .908 in 21 games while also spending time as the backup for Dallas.

The ECHL is the top developmental league for both the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. It has affiliations with 26 of the 30 teams in the NHL, marking the 11th consecutive season that the league has had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL, and with 26 of the 29 teams in the AHL. There have been 334 former ECHL players who have played in the NHL after playing in the ECHL.

Five former ECHL players have made their NHL debut this season: former Johnstown Chiefs and Fresno Falcons goaltender Dmitri Patzold (San Jose on Oct. 7), former Reading Royals goaltender Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles on Dec. 6), former San Diego goaltender Tyler Weiman (Colorado on Oct. 4), former Charlotte right wing Craig Weller (Phoenix on Oct. 4) and former Phoenix RoadRunners center Daniel Winnik (Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 4).

The leading distributor of game-worn hockey jerseys and "Official Game-Worn Jersey Source of the ECHL," MeiGray has sold more than 4,000 game-worn ECHL jerseys since the program began in 2002-03, including nearly 1,000 each of the past three seasons.

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