(Submitted photo/Tarin Smith)

By Ben Tompkins

Hometown boy

Porcupine Plain native selected in first round of WHL draft

Dec 17, 2021 | 5:22 PM

Tarin Smith, a 15-year old defencemen from Porcupine Plain was selected in the first round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft.

Smith, who currently plays for the U18 Saskatoon Blazers of the SMAAAHL, was drafted 20th overall by the Everett Silvertips.

“The first round was definitely the goal and that’s what I was striving for, for a long time,” Smith said. “Just to see that was really awesome.”

And Smith told northeastNOW he was beyond excited when he had been selected and that he heard the news from his parents.

“I got super pumped, especially when it was called by such a good organization,” he said. “My parents actually texted me because I was out of the city, so I’m just super grateful.”

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Smith also said despite Everett being a ways away from home, he’s not worried about the transition, as he’s somewhat experienced it before.

“It’s definitely going to be a little bit different, moving to a completely different country but I have moved away from home and billeted before, which is definitely going to help a lot I think,” he said.

However, he said he will miss his home, the place that started it all.

“Growing up in Porcupine Plain helped my career a lot, going to Tisdale for practices all the time and all the awesome people that helped me along the way,” he said. “Also growing up on a farm as well, farm boys are known to be a bit grittier on the ice, which I agree with.”

And Smith knows he won’t be completely leaving his home, as he’s excited to take a piece of it with him and represent the best he can.

“I love representing Porcupine Plain because even just moving to Saskatoon, all the guys were asking me where the heck it was and was just bamboozled that there are only like 800 people there,” he said. “To just like know that I came from there is awesome.”

But before Smith arrives in Everett, he knows there’s still half a season left for his current team, something he said is his top priority.

“I think the biggest thing right now is just to focus on the team. Show up to all the workouts, keep grinding hard, practice hard, be a good teammate and just the further the team goes, the further myself individually will go and that goes for all the guys on the team.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8