Craig Smith announced his retirement Monday after 14 seasons in the NHL.
"How do you wrap up 14 years of playing in the best hockey league in the world in a few paragraphs?" the 36-year-old forward said in a statement posted on Magnuson Hockey Agency's X account. "I'll start by saying how grateful I am that it even happened in the first place. It was a dream come true. I've wanted to become a hockey player ever since I can remember. I will forever be grateful for the memories with my teammates, coaches, trainers and equipment staff, general managers, and, most importantly, the fans.
"This league gave me an opportunity to change my place in life. For that, I'm forever grateful."
Smith had 452 points (220 goals, 232 assists) in 987 NHL regular-season games for the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. The Madison, Wisconsin, native had 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 83 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Selected by Nashville in the fourth round (No. 98) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Smith made his NHL debut with the Predators in 2011 after playing two seasons at the University of Wisconsin. He played nine seasons for Nashville and had an NHL career-high 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists) in 2013-14. He scored an NHL career-high 25 goals in 79 games in 2017-18.
Smith came closest to winning the Stanley Cup in 2017, when the Predators reached the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. He was limited to 10 games during the 2017 playoffs because of a high-ankle sprain, but played all six games of the Final, scoring a goal in Nashville's 5-1 win in Game 3 and getting an assist in a 4-1 victory in Game 4.
Smith played for the United States in the IIHF World Championship four times (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and won a bronze medal in 2013, when he was third in the tournament with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 10 games.
"I am so grateful for the lifelong friendships I've made throughout the years," Smith said. "I'll miss the locker room dearly.
"Thank you again to the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to represent your crests. It was my greatest honor. I'm not sure what the future holds for me yet, but for now I look forward to building our family and enjoying the start of the new year."
