Former Ottawa Senator Brad Smyth brings 20 years of pro hockey playing experience to the CCHL table.
The Nepean Raiders just got themselves a good one. Former Ottawa Senator Brad Smyth has been named the club's new head coach for this fall.
Smyth played 20 professional seasons (with 22 pro teams), five of which were in the NHL with the Senators, LA Kings, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, and the NY Rangers, where he briefly played with Wayne Gretzky.
Smyth is an AHL Hall of Famer and the fourth leading goal scorer in AHL history.
But he didn't just bounce between the NHL and AHL. He has one of the most well-traveled pro careers in hockey history. He made stops in the International Hockey League, ECHL, Roller Hockey International, Finland SM-liiga, Deutsche Eishockey League (Germany), Austrian League, British Elite Ice Hockey League, Italy Serie A, France, and the Central Hockey League.
Smyth, known to his friends as "Smitty" or "Shooter," talks a good game, too. He regularly appears as an analyst on TSN 1200 Radio, the Senators' flagship station.
Smyth joined me on the latest episode of the Sens Nation Podcast to briefly discuss the new gig, and everything going on with the Senators right now.
Smyth takes over for Jerrett DeFazio, the former Ottawa 67's star, who'd been the Raiders' head coach for the past two seasons. The coaching change was announced at the same time as an ownership transfer, with Rob Kinghan, Sue Collis, and Chris White taking possession of the team.
While this is Smyth's first head coaching gig in junior, the Ottawa native arrives with plenty of experience with the younger ranks. Smyth has coached U18 AAA hockey for the past two seasons, first in Kemptville, where he was named the league's 2022-23 U18 AAA Coach of the Year, and then last year with Myers. But he's been coaching skills and development at his hockey camps for many years.
New ownership and a new coach aren't the only things the Raiders have in common with the local NHL team. Like the Senators, the Raiders haven't made the playoffs since 2017.
Smyth will have a good challenge this fall, but getting used to being on a new team shouldn't be a problem.