Porcupine Plain native reflects on historic Silvertips tenure

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A lot has happened for the 2006-born defenceman since first debuting in the 2021/22 season, including being drafted to the NHL by the Anaheim Ducks, being named a nominee for WHL Defenceman of the Year, and setting the franchise record for points by a defenceman.

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None of that came without its challenges, of course, and that couldn’t have been more definitive than the fact that Smith had to captain his club to its first league title, despite not being able to do so out on the ice.

“Getting hurt in the first round of the playoffs, as the captain of the team, I knew I couldn’t control that, and our guys didn’t let that affect them. I knew I couldn’t shut down because I wasn’t playing, and I felt like I still needed to be a voice in the room. At the same time, they knew what they were doing, and I didn’t need to be overcrowding. I had to find that balance and give them the space because we still had 57 wins and one guy going down wasn’t gonna change that. Our guys did a great job of still knowing they were unreal and were gonna get it done,” he added.

“I did everything I possibly could to get back in the lineup, but there were NHL doctors telling me not to risk it because it could cause long-term issues. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but it’s best for my future, and all the boys backed me up on that and let me know I wasn’t letting them down. Just being myself around the rink and being around the guys every day really helped me, and we just supported each other really well.”

Despite the injury, Smith was there for every Memorial Cup and WHL final game, as he found a way to do the toughest and most stressful thing every hockey player has said… watch instead of play.

“You could have put a heart monitor on me in the stands, and I probably would’ve broken records. I just knew I’d much rather be watching in the stands than watching it on TV. It was obviously hard because you dream about these types of games when you’re a little kid, and you know how seldom it is to play on a championship team. It was pretty reassuring to see the boys win the Western League and get to the Memorial Cup, and I’m really glad I was there to experience it in person,” Smith continued.

“We were up 6-1 with 10 minutes to go in the third period of Game 5 against Prince Albert, and I was really stressed, but then I realized we were looking pretty good. I remember walking down to the room with three minutes left to go put my jersey on, and it was just pure excitement, and all the stress leaves your body. All the boys are fired up and hugging each other, and they call for the leadership group to come get the trophy. All the boys said I was going to get it on my own, though, which just proved what kind of group we have.”

(Image Credit: Submitted/Tarin Smith)

Despite being in a sling, there was never a doubt that Smith would be the first one to walk over and lift that trophy (Image Credit: Submitted/Tarin Smith)

Following the WHL title, Smith and the Silvertips moved on to Kelowna, B.C., to compete in the Memorial Cup, where they made it all the way to the championship game before falling to the Kitchener Rangers.

Despite losing the final game of the year, it never deterred Smith and all of Everett from the season they put together.

“Our boys wanted it so bad, and they put everything they had into that week. They still understood that what we did was super special, and I tried to reiterate that Everett had never seen a team win the Western League before. Even though we came up a little bit short in the last game, we accomplished a lot, and everyone was extremely proud of us. We had so much support, and it really was such a great year,” Smith concluded.

“Just looking back on my career and the year we had, it still hasn’t fully soaked in. Sometimes I wish I could just take a step out of my body and look at it from the outside, because to finish my time in Everett like that is just unbelievable. I’m so grateful and humbled by the things our group was able to accomplish; we hit so many of our goals. Now it’s time for the organization to set some new goals, and for us players moving on to work hard this offseason and accomplish new things in our own upcoming journeys.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8