Smith leaves Oilers for Carolina

Now that Steve Smith has accepted an assistant coaching post with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Edmonton Oilers will be looking to fill the void in their revamped staff.

Smith, 51, had been with the Oilers for the past four seasons but not only was his contract up for renewal, his role was going to change if he had elected to stay on.

Earlier this month, the Oilers reassigned Kelly Buchberger to the player personnel department and hired Craig Ramsay, who was subsequently assigned the defence and the power play while Keith Acton was tasked with the penalty kill.

That left Smith, who ran the defence and the penalty kill last season, as the odd man out of the bench area.

Head coach Dallas Eakins said at the time of Ramsay’s hire that he had hoped Smith would stay on but that if he did, it would be as the assistant stationed in the press box on game days.

Instead, Smith will work with new head man Bill Peters and assistant Rod Brind’Amour in Carolina.

General manager Ron Francis said in a press release that Smith “had a solid career as a player and has gained valuable coaching experience with two teams, especially when it comes to working with young defencemen.”

Smith worked as an assistant with the Calgary Flames during the 1997-98 season and is the second to travel from Edmonton for Carolina.

Ricky Olczyk, who was the Oilers assistant general manager for six seasons, is now Francis’s right-hand man.

Peters was hired last week to replace Kirk Muller. He was coaching Chicago’s American Hockey League team when Smith was scouting for the Blackhawks.