MONTREAL - NOVEMBER 1: Jason Smith #21of the Philadelphia Flyers skates against the Montreal Canadiens during their NHL game at the Bell Centre November 1, 2007 in Montreal, Quebec.(Photo By Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Dave Sandford
The Flyers’ brass have just managed to coax a member of Philadelphia’s old guard to join the recently-appointed Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ new head coach Ian Laperrière behind the team’s bench. That player would be none other than the team’s former gritty blueliner Jason Smith. Smith served as the Flyers’ captain during the 2007-2008 season- A position that was awarded to him upon arriving in the City of Brotherly Love after leading the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006.
Although Philadelphia would be just a short layover (seeing that he only played with the Orange and Black for one season) during his 15-year career, Smith’s play would prove to leave a lasting impression on his teammates and fans alike. With the league slowly changing at the time to a faster pace, offensively-minded game, Jason was one of the last of a dying breed: A true iron man who played in over 1,000 NHL games during the course of his career that fit Mr. Ed Snider’s team lineage to a T; A defenseman who was a leader both on and off the ice and who played with such grit and toughness that he was revered by all!
Smith was never known to score many points during his time with the Flyers (and while playing for other teams around the league) but perhaps it was explained the best when, speaking about Smith’s game, former Flyers’ teammate Joffrey Lupul stated this in 2007: “He (Smith) doesn’t really do the one thing that stands out. He just does the right thing every day.”
What Joffrey meant by this is that Smith may not score the big goal to win a game, but he played the game the right way by finishing every check, by sacrificing his body multiple times a night to prevent a shot from reaching his goalie, by downright pummeling anyone brave/stupid enough to stand in front of his net, and most certainly by coming to the aid of one of his teammates when vengeance was needed- hence Smith’s career 1,099 penalty minutes.
For far too long now the Flyers have tried to follow the league’s new, kinder, gentler approach to the game by drafting and attempting to develop players whose sole focus is on scoring points and who choose to play with a total disregard for the defensive side of the game (physicality included). But how did that work out for them? This off-season general manager Chuck Fletcher seems to have had enough. In fact, with Fletcher choosing to trade away defensive liabilities this off season like Nolan Patrick, Phil Myers, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jake Voracek, he has shown that this latest fad may be a thing of the past here in Philly.
Consequently, the decision to appoint both Ian Laperrière and Jason Smith to coach the team’s youth in Lehigh Valley next season may be the next step in Chuck’s brilliant plan to get his team back on track. Together, these two will show the team’s future stars the right way to play the game. That is if they choose to hold them to the standard that they once held themselves to during their careers. For it’s like the great 10-time National Championship winning UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” And if these two members of the old guard can manage to instill their once-great tactics into the Phantoms’ players, there just might be hope for Philadelphia returning to playoff contention soon enough. Let’s wish them luck!
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