Reilly Smith takes to the water with the Stanley Cup in Cape Breton Tuesday. (Photo / Phil Pritchard – Hockey Hall of Fame)
Former Ontario Junior Hockey League star forward Reilly Smith had his day with the Stanley Cup Tuesday.
The former St. Michael’s Buzzer and now former Las Vegas Golden Knight spent his day with the trophy in Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.
Smith and Lord Stanley posed for pictures on a boat and in a custom-painted chair with the forward’s name and No. 19 on the back.
In another photo, Smith lifted the Cup over his head while his family, who were sporting Vegas Stanley Cup championship T-shirts, waved to the camera.
In a salary cap move, Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 28.
Now 32, he began his NHL career with the Dallas Stars back in 2011-12 after being drafted by the Stars in 2009 in the third round (69th overall).
Smith moved to the Boston Bruins and then the Florida Panthers for two seasons each before joining the Nevada-based club in its first-ever NHL campaign in 2017. Reilly wore that “A” from the Knights’ inception through this spring’s Cup final.
Smith has scored 200 goals and assisted on another 273 in 764 NHL regular season games. In 106 playoff games, he has accumulated 79 more points.
The Mimico product launched his two-year career in the Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2007-08, playing 13 games for the Toronto-based Buzzers.
Smith’s next season in the OJHL was huge. He scored 27 times while accumulating 75 points. He started that regular season with a four-point outing against Markham and just rolled on from there. He added an amazing nine goals and 15 points in just six playoff contests against the Toronto Junior Canadiens, which included two four-point nights.
Reilly would spend the next three seasons at NCAA Division 1 Miami University at Ohio where he was captain in his final year. In 2011-12, he reached the coveted 30-goal mark.
With files from NHL.com
