After the NHL completed the COVID bubble in the fall of 2020, free agency opened in October, and Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney made a splash, signing forward Craig Smith. he was able to slide up and down the lineup for Boston and provide depth scoring.
At the trade deadline in 2023, Sweeney sent him as part of the trade package with the Washington Capitals that acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway during Boston's historic regular season. After moving around the next two years, the 36-year-old announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday after 14 seasons.
Former Bruins forward Craig Smith announces retirement
Smith was drafted in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in the fourth round by the Nashville Predators. In his career, he tallied 220 goals and 232 assists. He scored 33 goals and dished out 45 assists in 170 games. He played for the Predators for nine years before finishing out his career with the Bruins, Capitals, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks.
“I’ll start by saying how grateful I am that it even happened in the first place,” Smith wrote. “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.
“To my teammates — I wanted nothing more than to give you all I had, every night. I’m so grateful for the lifelong friendships I’ve made throughout the years. I’ll miss the locker room dearly.”
In 83 career playoff games, Smith had nine goals and 14 assists. He had two goals and five points in 17 postseason games for the Bruins. He was one of the more underrated forwards who played for the Bruins during his career.