Smith Joins Team USA
Published on April 25, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release
Waterloo, Iowa-For the third consecutive year, former Waterloo Black Hawks captain Craig Smith will represent the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation Men's World Championships, USA Hockey announced Thursday.
Smith will complete his second NHL season with the Nashville Predators this weekend. So far, he has appeared in 42 contests, recording three goals and seven assists during 2012/13. Nashville's season concludes with games against the Detroit Red Wings Thursday and the Columbus Blue Jackets Saturday.
Following his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin, Smith was chosen to skate with the National Team at the 2011 World Championships, then returned to skate in the event again last spring. In eleven career games at the tournament, the 23-year-old has three goals and five assists.
The United States team will open its schedule at the event in Helsinki, Finland on Saturday, May 4th. Opponents during the preliminary stages of the tournament include Austria, Latvia, Russia, Finland, France, Germany, and Slovakia. Fifteen members of the squad were announced Thursday, with additional players to be added as NHL clubs are eliminated form the Stanley Cup playoffs in the coming weeks. Smith and Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche are the only players currently on the roster who have appeared in more than one previous IIHF Men's World Championship.
From 2006-2009, Smith spent three seasons with the Black Hawks. He was a rookie on Waterloo's 2006-2007 Anderson Cup team and helped the franchise to the Clark Cup finals twice. During 157 career regular season USHL games, Smith scored 49 goals and recorded 68 assists. His 117 points rank 14th during the Black Hawks' junior era. Smith was Waterloo's captain in 2008/09 and was recognized on the All-USHL First Team.
He is one of eleven players to skate for the Hawks during the franchise's junior era before later being selected for the U.S. Men's National Team. He will join senior-era Waterloo players Charlie Brown, Keith Christiansen, and Paul Johnson among skaters who have appeared for the United States during the World Championships on three occasions apiece. The 2013 U.S. roster for the IIHF World Championship is the tenth in the last twelve years which includes a former Waterloo Black Hawk.
United States Hockey League Stories from April 25, 2013
- Phantoms' G Sean Romeo on Central Scouting Final Rankings - Youngstown Phantoms
- Playoff Notebook: Round 2 - Youngstown Phantoms
- Petry Selected for Team USA - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Growth, Development Mark End to 2012-13 Season - Tri-City Storm
- Smith Joins Team USA - Waterloo Black Hawks
- First of U.S. Men's National Team Players Named - U.S. National Team
- U.S. National Under-18 Team Blanks Sweden, 4-0, in Quarterfinals at World U18 Championship - U.S. National Team
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