D. J. Smith (ice hockey)
Canadian former NHL defenseman turned NHL head coach.
Denis Joseph Smith (born May 13, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He currently works as an associate coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Smith was the head coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2019 to 2023 and also served as interim head coach for the Los Angeles Kings in 2026. During his playing career, he appeared in 45 NHL games split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche.
Smith played minor hockey in Windsor, Ontario, and participated in the 1991 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He was selected by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in the second round, 20th overall, in the 1994 OHL Priority Draft. In his rookie season (1994–95), he played 61 games, scoring four goals and 17 points with 201 penalty minutes, the second-highest total on the team. In the playoffs, he added a goal and four points as Windsor beat Sarnia in the first round before losing to Sudbury. The next season, his offensive output jumped to 14 goals and 59 points in 64 games, tying for fourth in team scoring, and he led the Spitfires with 260 penalty minutes. In seven playoff games, he had a goal and eight points, but Windsor fell to Detroit in the first round. Named captain for 1996–97, Smith led all defencemen in scoring with 15 goals and 67 points in 63 games, finishing fifth on the team. In the postseason, he recorded a goal and eight points in five games as Windsor lost to Sarnia in the first round.
The New York Islanders drafted Smith in the second round, 41st overall, in the 1995 NHL entry draft. His time with the Islanders was brief; on March 15, 1996, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a multi-player deal that also sent Wendel Clark and Mathieu Schneider to Toronto, while the Islanders received Darby Hendrickson, Sean Haggerty, Kenny Jonsson, and Toronto’s first-round pick in 1997 (used to select Roberto Luongo). After his junior season ended, Smith played one game for Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the St. John’s Maple Leafs, in 1995–96, recording no points.
Smith made his NHL debut with Toronto on March 26, 1997, earning an assist on a goal by Brandon Convery in a 2–1 win over San Jose. Three days later, he had his first NHL fight, against Colorado’s Rene Corbet. In eight games with the Leafs that season, he had one assist and seven penalty minutes.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1977-05-13
- Birth Place
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 2
- Weight Lb
- 205
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Toronto Maple Leafs / Colorado Avalanche
- League Coach
- NHL
- Coached For
- Ottawa Senators / Los Angeles Kings
- Draft
- 41st overall
- Draft Year
- 1995
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Smith played junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1994 to 1997, serving as team captain in his final season. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round, 41st overall, of the 1995 NHL entry draft, but was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 15, 1996, in a multi-player deal. Smith made his NHL debut with Toronto on March 26, 1997, earning an assist. He played eight games for the Maple Leafs that season and later appeared in three more games for Toronto in 1999–2000.
On March 1, 2002, Smith was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a three-way trade. He played his first game with the Avalanche on October 17, 2002, and scored his first NHL goal on January 23, 2003, against Marc Denis of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Smith appeared in 34 games for Colorado in 2002–03, recording one goal and 55 penalty minutes. He spent the 2003–04 season with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) before a knee injury on January 14, 2004, ended his season. Smith announced his retirement as a player on June 14, 2005.
After retiring, Smith returned to the Windsor Spitfires as an assistant coach. He remained with the Spitfires through their Memorial Cup championship in 2009 and continued as an assistant until 2012. He later spent four years as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs before becoming head coach of the Ottawa Senators in 2019.
Reader's Guide
Smith's playing career was brief but included a notable trade that sent him from the Islanders to the Maple Leafs as part of a deal involving Wendel Clark and Mathieu Schneider. His time with the Colorado Avalanche was limited to 34 games, but he scored his first NHL goal during that stint. As a coach, Smith won the Memorial Cup in 2015 as an assistant with the Windsor Spitfires, a team he had previously served as an assistant for during their 2009 Memorial Cup victory. His head coaching tenure with the Ottawa Senators lasted five seasons, and he later served as interim head coach for the Los Angeles Kings in 2026. Smith's career illustrates a transition from a journeyman defenseman to a coach who has held significant roles in the NHL and major junior hockey.
Did You Know?
- He was traded from the New York Islanders to the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 15, 1996, in a deal that included Wendel Clark and Mathieu Schneider.
- Smith served as captain of the Windsor Spitfires during the 1996–97 OHL season.
- He won the Memorial Cup as an assistant coach with the Windsor Spitfires in 2015.
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