There were times this fall when Brendan Smith made the drive each day from Columbus to Cleveland and back that he wondered if it was worth it.
The road signs on Interstate 71 blended together, Morrow County and Medina County becoming indistinguishable as Smith battled two separate realities – battling to keep his hockey career alive and being the best dad he could be.
So Smith woke up before the roosters each practice day, leaving his wife and two sons in Central Ohio and driving to the Cleveland Monsters’ practice facility in Strongsville, Ohio. After practicing with the Blue Jackets' AHL squad, the defenseman got back in his car to return to Columbus and take his 7-year-old son, Nolan, to practice at The Battery Hockey Academy.
After signing a pro tryout contract with the Blue Jackets in training camp, being released in October and then inking a similar deal with Cleveland, the longtime NHLer kept the faith that he’d get the call from the Blue Jackets.
It finally came Monday, as Smith signed a one-year contract with Columbus, and he will make his CBJ debut tonight against the Maple Leafs with his wife and two sons in Nationwide Arena.
“There were a lot of hours in the car where you wonder, ‘Is this really worth it?’ but I have a good support cast in my wife and my family,” the 36-year-old said. “My little guy, when I was released, I think he took it harder than I did, so it was a special moment (Monday) being able to tell him that I’m going to be up here. I think he was happier than I was.
“Those are cool moments as a dad. It's been hard, so you’re reaping the benefits now.”
When he steps on the ice, it’ll be a moment he’ll be able to share with the family, as well as a testament to what Smith has done to stay in the game. He described the last few weeks as a grind, and if you think the hours driving up and down I-71 each day for practice are tough at his age, imagine the overnight bus rides to such cities as Utica, Chicago and Milwaukee.
Through it all, though, Smith impressed the Blue Jackets, both in training camp and in his time with the Monsters. In Cleveland, he suited up in 11 games, posting an assist and serving as a valuable defensive presence on a team full of young blueliners. He hopes to bring that same steady nature and physicality to the Blue Jackets now.
“I think ultimately if I play my game, it fits in,” Smith said. “I think the team can use a little bit of a harder-nosed, more vocal guy, just what I bring on a day-to-day basis. I think there’s a lot of teams that can use that, and obviously the game has gotten younger so there’s a lot of areas that I think I can help out both on and off the ice. That was where I felt that if I keep striving, keep working, keep grinding in the minors that eventually it’s going to pay out and work in my favor. Obviously, it didn’t work out in camp, but try, try again.”
Over the course of a 14-season NHL career with the Red Wings, Rangers, Hurricanes, Devils and last year with the Stars, Smith has done just that. Over 726 games, some of them spent as a checking line wing when the need arose, the Mimico, Ontario, native has totaled 39 goals, 105 assists and 144 points while not being afraid to drop the gloves or stick his nose into a play.
That’s what CBJ head coach Dean Evason is looking for tonight, especially with the Blue Jackets without the physical presences of Mathieu Olivier and Erik Gudbranson.
“His bite, his leadership, his aggressiveness as a defenseman, his ability to play a heavier, physical game down low in the D-zone,” Evason said of what Smith brings to the table. “We obviously brought him in here for camp and had a really good look at him and wanted to see him obviously continue that in Cleveland. With Guddy out, it gives us a little more bite on the back end.”
Smith is also happy to start to establish roots in the Columbus area, having moved his family here this offseason and making inroads in the local hockey community. With Nolan developing his love for the game at The Battery, the training facility co-founded by former CBJ player Cam Atkinson, Smith has stepped on the ice when he’s been available. There, he’s coached alongside the likes of Blue Jackets legends Rick Nash and Brandon Dubinsky, who also have sons on the team.
It’s a passion to give back that started during his time in New York and has continued on, inspired by the coaching he got as a kid from former NHLer Dave Gagner.
“The funny things that they say, I don’t even know,” Smith said of the kids. “Their minds are hilarious, but I’ll have my son and some of the kids calling me Bro. I’m like, ‘Guys, to you it’s Dad, and it’s Coach to you guys.’ So it’s interesting. They’re fun and it’s a good time.
“You’re just trying to continue to teach them this is the best job in the world, but you have to work hard to be where Rick and myself and Cam have gotten ourselves to, and you have to have that love for the game. It’s been fun, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
When Smith steps on the ice tonight, he’ll be living a moment he wasn’t sure would come in a place he never knew he’d be, which will make it all the more sweet.
“I remember every first game with every new team, and they’re all so exciting,” Smith said. “This one might be arguably up there with my first game with just how this season has gone, how challenging it has been, my age, all those things. I think this one is going to be pretty exciting for me.
“It’s going to be a pinch-me moment, but I don’t take anything for granted. I’m just going to get prepared and make sure that I can help the team win.”
