Stuart Smith

There were two Stu Smiths to play in the National Hockey League.

This Stuart Smith was once a highly regarded defensive prospect with the Hartford Whalers in the 1980s.

Smith was a second round pick (39th overall) by the Whalers in 1979. He was part of the powerhouse Peterborough Petes franchise that challenged for the Memorial Cup all three years he was there, winning the championship in 1979 and finishing as runner up in 1978 and 1980. Dave Fenyves and future Hall of Famer Larry Murphy were among his blue line partners.

Before playing with the Petes Smith spent the 1977-78 season playing junior B with the Seneca Nationals. Also on that team was a young Wayne Gretzky!

Smith would play a combined 77 games with the Whalers over the course of four seasons, but never really stuck in the NHL. He scored twice and added ten assists and picked up 95 points. He was the first teenager to ever play with the NHL Hartford Whalers.

He retired by 1985, after spending one season with the Los Angeles Kings' farm team in New Haven.

By 1987 Smith began working as an equities trader in Toronto.