| Round | Overall |
| 7 | 93 |
 |
 |
Left-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1968-69 | Roseau | Minn.HS | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1969-70 | Bemidji State | ICHA | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 1970-71 | Bemidji State | ICHA | 24 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 52 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Won NAIA championship with Bemidji State (ICHA) in 1971.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1972 |
| Debut: | February 14, 1973 (Toronto vs. Buffalo) |
| Final NHL game: | February 24, 1973 (Toronto vs. St. Louis) |
| Retired: | 1979 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Number: | 23 |
Career NHL Statistics
Team: Toronto
Year: 1973. Playoffs:
None
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 1 year | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 0 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Pre-Draft Highlights
Attended Roseau High School in Roseau, Minn. ... Played on line with Earl Anderson and Robbie Harris for Roseau in 1968-69. ... Named to Prep Parade Hockey Team of the Week for week ending Feb. 16, 1969. ... Also played on Roseau High School varsity baseball team. ... Played at Bemidji State College while it was part of the International Collegiate Hockey Association, which was below NCAA Division I at the NAIA level. ... Won Bemidji State Most Improved Player Award for 1970-71.
Career Highlights
Also played right wing during pro career. ... Spent part of 1971-72 season with U.S. national team on its pre-Olympic tour. ... Played on first Cincinnati Stingers (WHA) team in its inaugural season of 1975-76 and appeared in the franchise's first game on Oct. 11, 1975, at Cleveland. ... Scored at 4:42 of overtime to give Cincinnati 5-4 win over Calgary on Feb. 15, 1976, prompting curtain calls from the Cincinnati fans. ... Led PHL with 162 penalty minutes for Long Beach in 1977-78. ... Led PHL with 160 penalty minutes for Tucson (55 games) and Los Angeles (7 games) in 1978-79.
Transaction History
June 1975 -- WHA rights claimed by
Cincinnati off waivers from Minnesota. June
1975 -- Signed WHA contract with Cincinnati.
Dec. 8, 1976 -- WHA rights sold by
Cincinnati to New England. Feb. 1, 1977 -- Traded by
New England (WHA) to Cincinnati (WHA) in exchange for future
considerations. September 1977 -- Signed
with Indianapolis (WHA) as an unrestricted free agent.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Dale
Darwin Smedsmo
Nickname: "Smo"
Other Post-Draft Teams: Bemidji State (ICHA); Tulsa (CHL); Saginaw (IHL); Hampton (SHL); Oklahoma City (CHL); Cincinnati (WHA); New England (WHA); Rhode Island (AHL); Binghamton (NAHL); Indianapolis (WHA); Long Beach, Tucson, Los Angeles (PHL)
Education: Attended Bemidji State
University.
Career Beyond Hockey: Returned to
his hometown of Roseau, Minn., after retirement, and founded
D&E Sports Shop,
a local boat and powersports equipment dealership. He continues to own
the shop, running it along with former high school teammate Earl
Anderson.
Family: Stepfather of NHL player
Dustin Byfuglien, whose mother he began dating in 1998. Byfuglien worked
for Smedsmo at D&E Sports as a teen.
Significant Injuries
Missed part of 1971-72 season with separated shoulder, an injury suffered during Bemidji State's Nov. 12, 1971, game vs. University of Winnipeg. He did not return until Bemidji State's Dec. 17, 1971, game vs. Brandon. ... Missed parts of 1974-75 season with blood clot in left leg and fractured ankle.
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1972 WHA Draft, the first WHA draft, February 1972. | Was first player in Bemidji State hockey history to be drafted by an NHL team. | Raised horses on a farm in Minnesota during off-seasons of his playing days. | Was only American player in entire Toronto organization at time he made his NHL debut. |
| Played on line with Dennis Sobchuk and Gene Sobchuk for Cincinnati (WHA) in 1975-76. | Finished second on Cincinnati (WHA) with 187 penalty minutes in 1975-76. | Played on Hampton team that was leading SHL when league folded on Jan. 31, 1977. | Was in PHL when league folded at end of 1978-79 regular season, ending his pro career. |
| SNAPSHOT '71 | |
| Total Selected: | 117 |
| Forwards: | 63 |
| Defense: | 45 |
| Goaltenders: | 9 |
| Major Junior: | 84 |
| College Players: | 19 |
| Canadian: | 107 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 2 |
| American: | 8 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 50 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 5 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 10 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 5 |
| Olympians: | 4 |
| Picks Traded: | 18 |
| 1971 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | California |
| Chicago | Detroit | Los Angeles |
| Minnesota | Montreal | New York |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1971