Stan Smyl

Lore & Background

Nicknamed 'Steamer' by the Bellingham Blazer fans for his relentless and hard-nosed style of play, Smyl served as captain for a team record eight seasons, later tied by Henrik Sedin. He retired as the Canucks' all-time leader in games played, goals, assists and points – all of which have been since surpassed by Henrik and Daniel Sedin. Smyl's number 12 was the first retired number in Canucks' history, raised to the Pacific Coliseum rafters in 1991.

In Their Own Story

The Forum was packed the way it always was on a Friday night in February, the air thick with cigarette smoke and the smell of hot dogs from the concession stands. The score was tied, the clock was bleeding down, and the opposing winger was carrying the puck on a breakaway, stick low, eyes locked on the far post. Smyl was already moving, his skates carving a shallow arc, his stick extended like a baton. The winger lifted the puck, a deke that should have been the end of it, and Smyl went down. Not a controlled drop. A full, committed, almost ugly sprawl, his shoulder hitting the ice first, his glove hand reaching back, back, back, and the puck kissed the leather and stopped. The net was empty. The crowd did not cheer at first. There was a half-second of silence, the kind where you forget to breathe. Then Smyl was on his feet, stick raised, mouth open, and the Forum detonated. 'Smyl! Smyl! Smyl!' rolled through the upper deck like a wave, and for ten seconds, the building was not a building. It was a single organism, and the goalie in 31 was its heart.

Reader's Guide

Smyl played his entire NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks, never playing for the Los Angeles Kings. He was a forward (right wing), not a goaltender. His jersey number was 12, not 31.

Did You Know?

• Smyl featured in the 1982 Stanley Cup Final with the Canucks.
• He won the Memorial Cup with the New Westminster Bruins in 1977 and 1978.
• Smyl briefly served as interim general manager of the Canucks in December 2021.