Greg “Bird Dog” Smyth (April 23, 1966 – February 16, 2018) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Greg Smyth
Born (1966-04-23)April 23, 1966
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Died February 16, 2018(2018-02-16) (aged 51)
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Philadelphia Flyers
Quebec Nordiques
Calgary Flames
Florida Panthers
Toronto Maple Leafs
Chicago Blackhawks
NHL draft 22nd overall, 1984
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1986–2000

Playing career

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Smyth was born in Oakville, Ontario. As a youth, he played in the 1979 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Mississauga.[1]

He later played in the NHL for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Chicago Blackhawks. He was known as an enforcer during his playing career.[citation needed]

Playing the final three seasons of his career within the Maple Leafs organization, primarily with the St. John's Maple Leafs of the AHL, Smyth embarked on a coaching career in the 1999–2000 season with St. John's as an assistant coach. Less than a month into the season, Smyth got into a physical altercation with St. John’s forwards David Nemirovsky and Jason Bonsignore in Portland, Maine after a game against the Portland Pirates, in which Smyth was let go the next day.[2]

Smyth briefly returned to playing, playing 9 games with the London Knights of the British Superleague, before ending his professional career.

Coached the Junior Celtics in the St. John's Junior Hockey League, winning the prestigious Veitch Trophy in 2001.

Death

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Smyth resided in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador following the end of his playing career.

Smyth died of cancer on February 16, 2018, he was 51 years old.[2]

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1983–84 London Knights OHL 64 4 21 25 252 6 1 0 1 24
1984–85 London Knights OHL 47 7 16 23 188 8 2 2 4 27
1985–86 London Knights OHL 46 12 42 54 197 4 1 2 3 28
1985–86 Hershey Bears AHL 2 0 1 1 5 8 0 0 0 60
1986–87 Hershey Bears AHL 35 0 2 2 158 2 0 0 0 19
1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
1987–88 Hershey Bears AHL 21 0 10 10 102
1987–88 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 47 1 6 7 192 5 0 0 0 38
1988–89 Halifax Citadels AHL 43 3 9 12 310 4 0 1 1 35
1988–89 Quebec Nordiques NHL 10 0 1 1 70
1989–90 Halifax Citadels AHL 49 5 14 19 235 6 1 0 1 52
1989–90 Quebec Nordiques NHL 13 0 0 0 57
1990–91 Halifax Citadels AHL 56 6 23 29 340
1990–91 Quebec Nordiques NHL 1 0 0 0 0
1991–92 Halifax Citadels AHL 9 1 3 4 35
1991–92 Quebec Nordiques NHL 29 0 2 2 138
1991–92 Calgary Flames NHL 7 1 1 2 15
1992–93 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 5 0 1 1 31
1992–93 Calgary Flames NHL 35 1 2 3 95
1993–94 Florida Panthers NHL 12 1 0 1 37
1993–94 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 11 0 1 1 38
1993–94 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 38 0 0 0 108 6 0 0 0 0
1994–95 Indianapolis Ice IHL 2 0 0 0 0
1994–95 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 22 0 3 3 33
1995–96 Chicago Wolves IHL 15 1 3 4 53
1995–96 Los Angeles Ice Dogs IHL 41 2 7 9 231
1996–97 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 43 2 4 6 273 5 0 1 1 14
1996–97 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 2 0 0 0 0
1997–98 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 63 5 6 11 353 4 0 1 1 6
1998–99 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 40 0 7 7 159 5 0 1 1 19
1999–00 London Knights BISL 9 0 0 0 42
NHL totals 228 4 16 20 783 12 0 0 0 40

References

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  1. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-01-15.
  2. ^ a b "Bird Dog made an impact: former St. John's Maple Leaf Smyth dead at 51". The Telegram. 2018-02-17. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
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