CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Acquire Rights to Russell Smith

Published on September 14, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS --- The Mississippi RiverKings of the Central Hockey League (CHL) today (September 14th, 2010) announced they had acquired the rights for defenseman Russell Smith in a trade with the Dayton Gems. In receiving Smith, the RiverKings have sent the rights to defenseman Nathan Schwartzbauer on to the Gems in exchange.

Smith will be making his second appearance in the CHL, having played with the now-defunct New Mexico Scorpions in the 2008-09 season. Russell has played with three teams from the old International Hockey League, including part of last season with the Gems. He has also played with the Bloomington Prairie Thunder and the now-defunct Muskegon Lumberjacks, also during part of last season.

With the Gems last year, Smith scored three goals for eight points and 74 penalty minutes in 29 appearances. He came to Dayton from Muskegon, where he netted one goal for six points and 77 PIMS. Smith started the year with Bloomington, scoring three times for nine points and 82 penalty minutes in 19 contests.

Bloomington was where Smith ended the 2008-09 season, scoring three goals for ten points and 103 penalty minutes in 33 games. Also that season, Russell earned an assist in eleven games along with 37 penalty minutes for the Scorpions, and followed that with three goals for 18 points and 118 PIMS in 32 games with the Twin City Cyclones of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), before heading to Illinois.

Smith started his career at the end of the 2007-08 season, playing in seven regular season games and five playoff tilts with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. In those seven season meetings, he had one assist, and followed that with four penalty minutes in five playoff games.

Smith had a four-year college career at Elmira College, where he appeared in 91 contests, scored 14 goals for 59 points and 84 penalty minutes for the NCAA Division III Soaring Eagles.

Schwartzbauer heads to Ohio after scoring five goals for 14 points and 43 penalty minutes in 46 games with the RiverKings last season, coming to Mississippi after playing in two games to start the year with the Missouri Mavericks. He did not score in the RiverKings' three playoff games last season. Schwartzbauer played for the ECHL Dayton Bombers in the 2008-09 season and started his pro career under RiverKings Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Kevin "Killer" Kaminski in 2007-08 as a member of the Youngstown SteelHounds.

The Mississippi RiverKings are getting ready for its 19th season, making it the longest-running, active pro sports franchise in the Mid-South. Exhibition games at the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven are set for Saturday, October 9th at 6:05 PM and Sunday, October 10th at 3:05 PM against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, who return to the DCC for the RiverKings' home opener on Saturday, October 16th at 7:05 PM.

For RiverKings' ticket information, call 662-342-1755 or go online to www.riverkings.com today!

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Central Hockey League Stories from September 14, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central