Former Nashville Predators forward Craig Smith announced his retirement after 14 years in the NHL on Dec. 8.
“I will forever be grateful for the memories with my teammates, coaches, trainers and equipment staff, general managers, and, most importantly, the fans,” Smith said in a release by his agency. “This league gave me an opportunity to change my place in life. For that, I’m forever grateful.”
Smith spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Predators, where he recorded 330 points in 661 games. He ranks sixth in goals (162) and seventh in points among franchise career leaders.
After leaving Nashville for free agency in 2020, Smith played for the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. He finished his NHL career with 220 goals and 232 assists in 987 games.
Smith, a Madison, Wisconsin native, played two seasons with the University of Wisconsin before being drafted by the Predators in the fourth round in 2009. He scored a goal in his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2011, a 3-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Smith was a part of the Predators’ most successful seasons in the late 2010s, including their 2017 run to the Stanley Cup Final. In 52 playoff games, he scored seven goals and nine assists, including an overtime winning goal in Game 2 of the Predators’ first round series against the Dallas Stars in 2019.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.