Ty Smith checks all the boxes
NHL teams covet undersized but highly talented WHL defenceman who can skate and score
Ian Gallagher isn’t cheap with compliments.
He was the longtime strength and conditioning coach for the Vancouver Giants. He continues to work with various players during the summer in the Ladner area.
His senior group features his son, Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher. As well, there’s Vancouver Canucks defenceman Troy Stecher, Washington Capitals defence prospect Lucas Johansen and Spokane Chiefs defenceman Ty Smith, who is expected to be a first-round pick at this week’s NHL Entry Draft in Dallas.
The senior Gallagher is blunt and honest. He’s not one to randomly gush. So his comments about the 18-yearold Smith shouldn’t be considered your standard fluffy hype at this time of year.
“Anyone at his level understands it’s about team, but Ty has a unique ability to drag the whole group along with him,” Gallagher said.
“Everything he does is within that premise. He checks all the boxes you would want for a kid, mentally and emotionally.
“He’s going to be a good employee. He’s going to be a good husband. He’s going be a good contributor to the community. The sport part of it is the sport part of it. What it dictates is yet to be determined. He’s a really good person.”
Smith’s family lives in Saskatoon now, but he grew up in Lloydminster, Alta. He moved west for his WHL bantam draft season in 2014-15 and joined the Delta Hockey Academy. Ian Gallagher is the program’s director.
This is the second straight summer that Smith has returned to train under Gallagher.
“It’s good to see how hard those guys train,” said Smith, who was the first overall pick of the Chiefs in the 2015 bantam draft. “They’re pros. They’re where I want to be. It makes me work even harder.”
Smith is expected to be the first WHLer off the board at the draft, and he could go shortly after the Canucks select at No. 7.
TSN’s Craig Button, for instance, had Smith as the No. 12 choice in his mock draft released Tuesday.
Smith was second in scoring among WHL defenceman in the regular season, producing 73 points, including 14 goals, in 69 games. His plus44 tied him for seventh in the league in that category.
Smith talks about how much he prides himself in being strong in all three zones.
“I think he’s a very, very intelligent player,” said Kelowna Rockets general manager Bruce Hamilton, whose team is known for developing defencemen, including Johansen and Cal Foote, who was last year’s No. 14 pick by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“He sees the game very well. He’s also an excellent skater.
“The only real drawback for people will be his size. The next level will be interesting for him. Up there, strength is a big part of it. You need to show that you can hang in and handle the physical side of it.”
Smith says he checked in at a smidge under 5-foot-11 and 177 pounds at the recent NHL Scouting Combine. There are a few smaller rearguards in the league currently, including Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild, who is listed at 5-foot-9 and 168 pounds.
Spurgeon played five seasons in Spokane. For the past two seasons, Smith has lived with the same billet family that Spurgeon had, and says that Wild games have routinely been on television there. He’s studied Spurgeon’s game intently.
“Most of the teams have asked me about it,” Smith said of being an undersized defender, “but I don’t think it’s anything to worry too much about. The way game is played now, there’s lots of smaller guys in the league.”