UNIONDALE, N.Y. — In May of 2005, Ryan Smyth was at the World Championships in Austria when he lined up for a faceoff in Team Canada’s defensive zone against a teenager from Slovenia.
The kid won the faceoff and, from in front of the net, deflected in a goal before Smyth even knew what hit him. “Who the heck is this guy”? Smith asked himself.
Today, Smyth and his tormentor, budding NHL star center Anze Kopitar, are on the same line for the Los Angeles Kings.
Two years after signing with the Avalanche as a free agent, the 33-year old Smyth found himself on the worst team in the Western Conference, with a franchise in need of a major overhaul.
Salvation came in the form of a trade offer on July 11 from Kings GM Dean Lombardi. Smyth possessed a no-move clause in his Colorado contract and could have blocked the deal, but after talking it over with his wife he gave the trade his blessing and his …
Read more from the original source
Leave a Reply