HUMBOLDT 鈥� Troy Smith was preparing to go back to school when he got his lucky break as a coach
The Hamilton native had finished his second and final season season in the ECHL when his old coach from his Ontario Hockey League days, Pete DeBoer, offered him a position in Kitchener with the Rangers in the OHL.
Smith said he though his coaching career would start in minor hockey.
鈥淚 didn't know or think that I'd really be given that opportunity but I was extremely lucky that I didn't have to go and coach minor hockey, I didn't have to earn my way up to an OHL opportunity,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was provided one based on Pete's knowledge of me as a person.鈥�
This would lead to a chain of events where Smith would became the interim assistance coach of the Humboldt Broncos, filling a position that was left vacant when Scott Barney became the interim head coach.
Smith said he got into the sport a little bit later than many.
鈥淚 didn't start playing until I was about six years old but like every other Canadian kid, watched my dad play and grow love for the game from there.鈥�
The 1978-born defenceman got his start with the Ontario Junior Hockey League鈥檚 Hamilton Kilty B's in the 1994-95 season, before moving up into the OHL. He played for the Whalers, for four seasons. For his first two seasons, they were based out of Detroit, then they moved to聽 Plymouth, Mich. Serving as head coach of the team at the time was DeBoer.
鈥淭hen I made the choice to use my education package to go out east to St. FX [St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia] and had a great experience there, a fantastic education, met lots of wonderful people and won a national championship as well in 鈥�04.鈥�
From 2004 to 2006, Smith went pro, playing with the ECHL, United Hockey League 鈥巃nd the England-based Elite Ice Hockey League.
鈥淚 really wanted to play pro hockey and it was an experience that I just needed to get out of the way before I moved on to the real world,鈥� he said.
He remained in contact with DeBoer and his old team.
鈥淎fter I was done playing, I just kept hanging around, whether it be training camp or helping out coaching at the end of the season if they were in playoffs when I was done school.鈥�
It was on that basis Smith was hired as an assistant coach with the Kitchener Rangers, a team he would stay with for nine years, two of those as head coach.
鈥淚 was lucky because Pete DeBoer and Steve Spott were my two bosses, and they really gave me an opportunity to grow in the role and do things, whether it was running drills and practice, run video or being in charge of our prospects,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was always given responsibility that allowed me to grow as a coach and as a person and that's what's led me to the opportunities that I've been given past that point.鈥�
Smith has also represented Hockey Canada seven different times, coaching six times at the U17 level and once at the U18 level. This season, he鈥檚 serving as a Canada Black U17 assistant coach as well as his job with the Broncos.
鈥淭hose are great opportunities because not only do you get to work with the best players in the country, you also get to compete against the best players and coaches in the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e definitely opportunities that I've taken a lot from and I continue to want to move forward in that program as well.鈥�
In 2017, Smith started as head coach of the OHL鈥檚 Saginaw Spirit, a position he kept until November 2018. Through a mutual friend, Scott Barney reached out to Smith and he聽 thought it was too good to pass up.
鈥淚t was an opportunity for me to get back to work and and not spend as much time not involved in the game and it's a new challenge for me. I've never coached at the junior A level.鈥�
Smith added it's kind of refreshing to be an assistant coach after being in the top job for a couple of years.
鈥淚'm excited for the unique challenge that's presented here for us and I think we've got a bright next few months ahead of us.鈥�
In his new position, Smith will aim to help the team get better, being a good role model and resource for the players, as well as help Scott develop the team.
He鈥檒l tap into his OHL experience to make that happen.
鈥淭he amount of time that I've spent coaching, I've seen a lot of different things,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm sure that I'll learn things here but I'm sure there's also some experiences, whether it be playoff hockey being in a Memorial Cup final, things like that, that I can hopefully use to to create an advantage for us here.鈥�
