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| 1981 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Doug Smith
Selected in first round
No.
2 overall by Los Angeles Kings
Born May 17, 1963
 | Position:
Center
Height: 5-11 Weight: 175
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Ottawa (OMJHL)
Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown:
Nepean, Ontario |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1978-79 |
Nepean | COJHL |
24 | 24 |
17 | 41 |
18 | | 1979-80 |
Ottawa | OMJHL |
64 | 23 |
34 | 57 |
45 | | 1980-81 |
Ottawa | OMJHL |
54 | 45 |
56 | 101 |
61 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
OMJHL Bobby Smith Trophy (Scholastic Player of Year): 1980-81 (Ottawa)
Miscellaneous: Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 OMJHL prospect for the 1981 NHL draft. ...
Was Ottawa's second-round pick, No. 18 overall, in 1979 OMJHL priority
selection. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with knee injury, suffered in
October 1980. ... Also played tennis growing up in Ottawa, where his mother
was city's No.2-ranked women's player. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 7, 1981 (N.Y. Islanders at
Los Angeles)
Numbers: 23 (Los Angeles); 15 (Buff.); 8 (Edm.);
21 (Van.); 15 (Pitt.)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status:
Retired 1992 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP | PIM |
| 1981-1990 | LA, BUF, EDM, VAN, PIT |
535 | 115 |
138 | 253 |
624 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP | PIM |
| 1982-1989 | L.A., Buffalo, Vancouver |
18 | 4 |
2 | 6 |
21 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous: Was highest-drafted player in Los Angeles history (record
since tied). ... Attended Los Angeles' 1981 training camp, but failed to agree
on contract before start of major-junior season, forcing him to return to
Ottawa (OHL) for one game until Los Angeles was able to sign him. ... Was
youngest player in Los Angeles history at time when he made his NHL debut. ... Was only
player to play all 80 games for Los Angeles during rookie season of 1981-82.
... Assisted on Daryl Evans' game-winning overtime goal as Los Angeles came
back from a 5-0 deficit to beat Edmonton 6-5 in the
greatest single-game comeback in Stanley Cup playoff history during Game 3 of first-round
series on April 10, 1982 in Los Angeles. The game is now known as the "Miracle
on Manchester." Smith won a faceoff in the offensive zone and drew the
puck back to Evans, who beat Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr. ... Missed nearly half of 1982-83 season with broken left wrist, an injury
suffered during Los Angeles' Oct. 27, 1982, game at Winnipeg. ... Missed parts
of 1982-83 season with sore arm and the flu, contracted in March 1983. ...
Also played right wing for Los Angeles from 1981 to 1984. ... Missed parts of
1984-85 season with the flu, contracted in November 1984, with partially torn MCL in right knee, an injury suffered during Los Angeles' Jan. 16, 1985, game
vs. Toronto, and with right knee injury, suffered during Los Angeles' March
27, 1985, game vs. Calgary. ... Scored goal just 13 seconds into his first
game for Buffalo, vs. N.Y. Rangers on Jan. 31, 1986. He had won the faceoff
back to Paul Cyr, who sent him on a breakaway into the Rangers zone, enabling
him to beat Glen Hanlon with game's first shot. ... Missed part of 1986-87
season with knee injury, suffered during Buffalo's Jan. 14, 1987, game vs.
Montreal. ... Recalled from Rochester (AHL) by Buffalo to replace Gilbert
Perreault after Perreault retired in November 1986. ...Set Buffalo
single-season record (since broken) for penalty minutes by a center with 106
in 1986-87. ... Scored 5,000th goal in Buffalo Sabres franchise history during
team's Oct. 23, 1987, game vs. Montreal. ... Set Buffalo single-season record
(since broken) for penalty minutes by a center with 117 in 1987-88. ...
Suspended without pay by Buffalo on Sept. 10, 1988, after failing pre-training
camp team physical because he
had injured his left shoulder and collarbone in a car accident during the
summer of 1988. ... Was represented by agent Larry Kelly during his NHL
playing days. ... Left unprotected by Buffalo for 1988 NHL Waiver Draft. He
was claimed by Edmonton on Oct. 3, 1988. ... Scored game-winning goal in his
first game in Vancouver uniform, vs. Los Angeles on March 10, 1989. ... Missed
parts of 1989-90 season with torn groin muscle, an injury suffered during
Vancouver's Oct. 31, 1989, game vs. New Jersey, and with separated left
shoulder, an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Feb. 28, 1990, game vs. New
Jersey. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Ottawa (OHL); Rochester (AHL);
Cape Breton (AHL); Villach, Graz (Austria)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Austria Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1990-91 (Graz) (200 PIM)
1986-87: Played 15 regular-season games for Rochester team that went on
to win AHL playoff title, but was not with team in postseason.
Miscellaneous:
Sent to minors for first time in his career when Buffalo demoted him to
Rochester on Oct. 20, 1986. ... Suffered career-ending broken neck when he
crashed head-first into boards while playing in Austria in
1991-92 season. Broke neck in multiple places, shattered two vertebrae and was
paralyzed from the neck down for several years before an amazing recovery in
which he became able to walk again and regained use of left arm. ... Returned to Ottawa after retirement.
Personal: Full name is Douglas Eric
Smith. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Los Angeles traded Smith and Brian
Engblom to Buffalo in exchange for Sean McKenna, Larry Playfair and Ken
Baumgartner on January 30, 1986. |
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SNAPSHOT '81 | | Total Selected: |
211 | | Forwards: |
119 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
25 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
10/4 | | College Players: |
21 | | High School: |
18 |
| Canadian: |
139 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
37 | | U.S.-Born: |
36 |
| European: |
32 |
| Reached NHL: |
114 |
| Stanley Cup: |
17 | | Hall of Fame: |
2 |
| All-Star Game: |
14 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
30 |
| Picks Traded: |
38 |
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