Nathan Smith Hits the Trifecta of Hockey Experiences in 2021-22

Twenty-three-year-old Nathan Smith's 2021-22 campaign included representing the United States at the Winter Olympics and a full NCAA season with Minnesota State as a National Championship runner up. Despite all that hockey, Smith signed his entry-level contract with the Coyotes just two days after his college season ended and made his NHL debut on April 12 at home versus New Jersey.
"It's been a pretty quick turnaround," said Smith. "We lost in the championship, we were on the flight back home and the next day I was packing my stuff getting ready to go. I got into Arizona around midnight [on Monday] and now I'm at the rink. Practice and everything's coming at me pretty fast, but I'm really excited to be here and get everything going."

Smith loves hockey, and he's ready for his opportunity to play in the best League in the world. When the Coyotes had the opportunity to acquire his signing rights from the Winnipeg Jets, the team that drafted him in 2018, General Manager Bill Armstrong was impressed with his pedigree of being a winner, and views Smith's experiences of playing on some of hockey's biggest stages something that will be beneficial for the organization moving forward.
"We were ecstatic about trading for Nathan and we're more ecstatic about signing him and now being able to put him in our lineup," said Armstrong. "One of the things we loved about Nathan when we acquired him was the year he had. He started out very strong for his team, made the Olympic team and had a strong Olympics. Then he came back and led Minnesota State to the National Championship game. It was very impressive.
"I'm a big believer that winning as a kid follows you. You must have that determination. That was one of the things that came up when we did our background check is that he has a big-time determination to win. The success he's had is because of that determination."

Smith's impressive 2021-22 campaign featured a 50-point performance (19-31-50) that ranked second among all NCAA skaters and earned him a spot as a Hobey Baker top 10 finalist. He also filled his portfolio by taking home CCHA Forward of the Year honors along with the conference's monthly and weekly recognition on multiple occasions.
"I went back my third year to improve my defensive ability and 200-foot game, so I'd say that's something I bring to the table," said Smith. "It's definitely gotten a lot better over the past year or so."
Armstrong acknowledged having productive centermen is important, indicating Smith's 200-foot focus will be a welcome addition to the lineup if he can seize the opportunity. With that, Smith made sure to share he enjoys playing in the offensive side of the 200-foot ice sheet just as much.
"Offensively, I like to play offense. Who doesn't?" he said smirking.

With his first NHL game under his belt, Smith can now focus on making the most of the remaining nine games this season without some of the natural jitters that are present during an NHL debut. He centered a line with Andrew Ladd and Matias Maccelli in the game against the Devils, linemates who provide a wide range of familiarity and skills that complement the center.
"It felt pretty good," Smith said during his postgame media availability. "It was my first NHL game, so I was a bit nervous going into it, but once I got out there for warmups and got my first couple of shifts under my belt, it started to feel a little bit better. I just tried to keep it simple and play hard defensively and see what the best outcome was."
The Tampa, Fla. native grew up watching Ladd, who made his NHL debut when Smith was six years old and is very familiar with the 16-year veteran from seeing him over the years on TV. Maccelli, on the other hand, is a fellow rookie but someone who Smith competed against regularly during his USHL days playing for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Ladd is approaching 1,000 games in his career, and Smith anticipates the veteran's presence will help him get acclimated to the NHL.
"As far as learning from Ladd, I'm really just trying to be a sponge. He's five games away from 1,000 and he's been around and has experience. Any time I have a question I'll ask him and lean on him to show me the ropes."