Stan Smyl is one of the most popular and richest Ice Hockey Player who was born on January 28, 1958 in Glendon, England, United Kingdom. In the final year of his junior high school Smyl got selected for be part of the Canadian National Junior Team for 1978’s World Junior Championships, held in Quebec, Canada. Participating as the host country, Canada earned the bronze medal after finishing third in round-robin competition. Smyl had one goal and two assists during six games.
Smyl became a point-per-game player in his second NHL season, leading the Canucks in scoring with 31 goals and 78 points over 77 games in 1979–80. In the second half of the season, he registered a team record point-scoring streak that lasted 12 games (five goals and 22 points) between February 7 and March 4, 1980. The streak broke Dennis Kearns’ 11-game mark, set three years prior in March 1977. Shortly after the streak ended, he notched his first NHL career hat trick against the goaltender Pat Riggin during a game against the Atlanta Flames on March 7. Nearly a month later, he notched four assists in one game – a 5–0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on April 1, 1980.
Early in the 1981–82 season, Smyl recorded a five-point game, notching a hat trick and two assists, in an 8–4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 31, 1981. Late in the campaign, he was named team captain, succeeding defenceman Kevin McCarthy, who had broken his ankle during practice. He went on to complete the campaign with 34 goals and 78 points over 80 games.
After his play-offs in the Blazers, Smyl debuted at the level of major junior with the New Westminster Bruins of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). Smyl played in three playoff games, and was an integral part of the Bruins franchise’s inaugural President’s Cup as WCHL champions. After joining the Bruins full-time during the following year, Smyl put up 74 points over 72 games as the Bruins took the second time in succession WCHL title. They were selected for 1976’s Memorial Cup, they lost the Canadian major junior championship to Hamilton Fincups. Hamilton Fincups.
Between 1976 and 1977, New Westminster repeated as President’s Cup champions as Smyl scored 66 points during the regular season before scoring the team scored 13 points over 13 games in playoffs. In their return in the Memorial Cup, the Bruins took home their first major junior championship in the history of their franchise. Participating in the third season as a major junior, Smyl recorded a WCJHL career-high 76 points across 53 games. The 1978 WCHL playoffs, the player scored 35 points in just 20 games, and won three consecutive President’s Cup with the Bruins. In 1978’s Memorial Cup, Smyl was named MVP of the tournament and also received the tournament All-Star Team honours with 14 points in five games. It was the year that the Bruins were the only team to win the title of Memorial Cup champions in consecutive seasons, since the Bruins were crowned champions again for the second time in a row.
After a decorated season with the New Westminster Bruins, his final year of junior, Smyl was a third round, 40th overall selection in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. Smyl entered the NHL with the Canucks the following season in 1978–79. Playing on a line with fellow rookies Thomas Gradin and Curt Fraser, he scored 14 goals and 38 points over 62 games in his first season. He also proved to be physical, earning 89 penalty minutes as well. As the Canucks qualified for the 1979 playoffs as the final seed, Smyl scored his first NHL post-season goal in game one of the preliminary round against the Philadelphia Flyers. Vancouver won the game 3–2, but went on to lose the best-of-three series in three games. Smyl also played three games for the Central Hockey League’s Dallas Black Hawks during the campaign.
