Gary Smith (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Smith played his junior hockey with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons and the Toronto Marlboros, winning a Memorial Cup with the Toronto Marlboros in 1964. He made his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1965-66 season and was one of five goalies who played for the Maple Leafs during 1966–67, their most recent Stanley Cup season. In his first season with Toronto, Smith left his crease in a game against the Montreal Canadiens in an attempt to be the first NHL goalie to score a goal, reaching the Canadiens' blueline before J. C. Tremblay issued a heavy bodycheck; the NHL subsequently introduced a rule prohibiting the goaltender from being involved in play after crossing the center red line.

Smith was given the nickname 'Suitcase' Smith by Toronto Star journalist Red Burnett due to the large number of teams for which he played; Smith disliked the nickname, stating that his friends called him 'Axe'. After playing with the dismal California Golden Seals from 1967–68 to 1970–71, with whom he set records in 1970–71 for both the most games played in a single season and most losses in a single season, his first success was sharing the 1971–72 Vezina Trophy with Tony Esposito while with the Chicago Black Hawks. One year later, Smith and Esposito helped lead the Black Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals, which they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.

Smith later played in the WHA, and was a teammate and roommate of Wayne Gretzky while playing for the Indianapolis Racers, where he went 0-10-1 before being shifted over to Winnipeg. He played in ten games later in the 1978-79 season and won seven of them leading up to the 1979 WHA playoffs. In ten starts as goaltender, Smith won eight of them as a key part of the Winnipeg Jets' 1979 Avco World Trophy championship run against the Edmonton Oilers, who were led by Gretzky. Smith gave up the last goal in WHA history to Dave Semenko, which Smith claimed he let in on purpose after Semenko was elbowing him. Smith was noted for his ritual of removing his entire uniform and goaltending gear between periods and putting it all back on again, and for punting the puck down the ice, allegedly in an attempt to hit the scoreclock.

Reader's Guide

Gary Smith's significance lies in his unique career arc and notable achievements across both the NHL and WHA. He co-won the Vezina Trophy in 1971–72 with Tony Esposito while with the Chicago Black Hawks, a rare shared honor. He also finished fifth in balloting for the 1975 Hart Memorial Trophy while with the Vancouver Canucks, with winner Bobby Clarke stating in his acceptance speech that Smith was more deserving. Smith holds the NHL record for most losses in a single season (48 in 1971), a mark that reflects his time with the struggling California Golden Seals. His legacy includes being a key goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets' 1979 Avco World Trophy championship, where he won eight of ten playoff starts. Smith was also a teammate and roommate of Wayne Gretzky with the Indianapolis Racers, and his career spanned from the 1960s through the end of the WHA in 1979. His unusual habits—such as removing all his gear between periods and punting the puck—added to his colorful reputation. After his playing career, Smith became a process server in Vancouver and later managed racehorses in Del Mar, California.

Did You Know?

• Smith attempted to be the first NHL goalie to score a goal by leaving his crease against the Montreal Canadiens, leading to a rule prohibiting goaltenders from crossing the center red line.
• He was nicknamed 'Suitcase' Smith by a Toronto Star journalist due to the many teams he played for, but preferred to be called 'Axe'.
• He once left the Pacific Coliseum and drove home still wearing his equipment after being pulled from a game, saying 'It's tough driving in your skates.'

A Career Defined by Constant Movement

Gary Edward Smith's professional journey was marked by an unusual amount of team-hopping that earned him the unflattering moniker "Suitcase" Smith, a label coined by Toronto Star sportswriter Red Burnett. Born on February 4, 1944, to former NHL player Des Smith, Gary grew up in a hockey household alongside his brother Brian. After junior stints with Toronto's St. Michael's Majors, Neil McNeil Maroons, and Marlboros, he captured a Memorial Cup with the Marlboros in 1964 before making his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in 1965-66. His path then wound through the California Golden Seals, Chicago Black Hawks, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, and Winnipeg Jets. With the Golden Seals he set a single-season NHL record for losses, yet with Chicago he shared the Vezina Trophy with Tony Esposito in 1971-72 and helped push the Hawks to the Stanley Cup Finals the following year. Smith himself preferred friends called him "Axe," a far more personal nickname than the one that stuck in the press.

The 1979 WHA Redemption

The final chapter of Gary Smith's playing career delivered one of sport's great late-career comebacks. In the WHA's last season, 1978-79, he was initially assigned to the Indianapolis Racers, where he went winless in eleven starts and was released by January. At his wife's suggestion, he inquired whether the Winnipeg Jets needed a goaltender after they had suffered a 10-1 defeat. Two weeks later, the Jets called. Smith started ten regular-season games and won seven, then anchored the net in the 1979 WHA playoffs, winning eight of ten starts as Winnipeg captured the Avco World Trophy over the Edmonton Oilers. The irony was sharp: his former Indianapolis roommate was Wayne Gretzky, who led that very Oilers squad. During the series, Oilers coach Glen Sather publicly accused Smith of holding his stick in front of players' faces, while Jets coach Tom McVie defended him as "an old time goalie who likes to establish his domain." Smith also conceded the final goal in WHA history to Dave Semenko, a goal he admitted was let in deliberately after Semenko began punching and elbowing him in front of the net.

Eccentricities and Infamous Moments

Gary Smith was as memorable for his quirks as for his saves. In his first NHL season with Toronto, he left his crease and skated all the way to the Montreal Canadiens' blueline in a bid to become the first goaltender to score a goal. He was met with a heavy bodycheck from J.C. Tremblay, and the league subsequently banned goalies from crossing the center red line. Smith also developed a ritual of stripping his entire uniform and gear between periods and reassembling it, a habit he maintained throughout his career even after his skate-boot stretching problems were resolved. At times he wore as many as thirteen pairs of socks to compensate. He was also known for punting the puck down the ice, allegedly in an attempt to strike the scoreclock. Perhaps his most infamous moment came in Vancouver, when after being pulled from a game in which he had allowed five goals to Pittsburgh, he simply walked out of the Pacific Coliseum and drove home still wearing his full equipment. The team suspended him indefinitely, later reduced to five games. Smith's own summary of the ordeal was characteristically blunt: "It's tough driving in your skates."

Family, Loss, and Life Beyond the Rink

Beyond the ice, Gary Smith's life was shaped by family bonds and loss. His brother Brian, also an NHL player, faced him across the net on December 19, 1967, when Brian's Los Angeles Kings met Gary's Oakland Seals; Gary allowed two goals to his sibling. Brian later transitioned into television sports broadcasting in Ottawa, but his life was cut short in 1995 when he was murdered. In 1996, Gary, then working as a process server in Vancouver, received a court settlement for pension payments owed by the league. He announced his intention to purchase a racehorse and name it Broadcaster, a tribute to his late brother. Gary also had a proud moment in 1975 when Vancouver Canucks teammate Bobby Clarke, after winning the Hart Memorial Trophy, publicly declared in his acceptance speech that Smith was more deserving of the award. Smith ultimately closed his career with the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL and the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. He now resides in Del Mar, California, where he continues to manage his horses, carrying forward the equestrian tribute he made to Brian.