Reilly Smith Bio
Reilly Smith (born April 1, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in Etobicoke, Ontario, he came up through the Toronto minor hockey system before starring at St. Michael’s College School and Miami University. Smith was drafted 69th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and has played for the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers, in addition to the Golden Knights.
Smith is best known for his offensive skill on the wing and for helping the Golden Knights capture the Stanley Cup in 2023, scoring the Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. He is also recognized as one of the original members of the Vegas franchise that reached the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals in the team’s inaugural season.
Early Life and Background
Reilly Smith was born on April 1, 1991, in Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada, to parents Lester Smith and Deirdre Smith. He grew up in an athletic household alongside his older brother Brendan Smith, who plays defense for the Dallas Stars, and another brother, Rory Smith, who competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The three siblings all played minor hockey in the Etobicoke neighborhood of Mimico with the Faustina Sports Club before progressing to the St. Michael’s Buzzers minor juniors.
Smith attended St. Michael’s College School in Toronto, where he starred for the school’s junior hockey program. He participated in the CJHL All-Star Game and served as both captain and assistant captain during his time with the team. In his final season, he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player after recording 75 points. Smith also represented Canada at the 2008 World Junior A Challenge, where he won a bronze medal prior to beginning his collegiate career.
Path to Hockey
Following the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, in which he was selected 69th overall by the Dallas Stars, Smith began his freshman season with the Miami University RedHawks of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), where he majored in sport studies. He admitted that the speed of collegiate hockey was an adjustment, finishing his first year with eight goals and 20 points in 43 games, while also being invited to Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp.
Smith’s sophomore year marked a breakout, as he recorded 54 points in 38 games and led the nation’s underclassmen in goals and points while ranking seventh overall nationally. He was named to the All-Florida College Classic Team, first team All-CCHA, the CCHA All-Tournament Team, College Hockey News Second-Team All-America, and INCH Third-Team All-America. In his junior season, he posted a career-high 30 goals in 39 games, finishing as a Hobey Baker Award finalist, a First-Team All-America selection, and a finalist for the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Year.
Reilly Smith Career
Early Career (2012-2013)
On March 25, 2012, Smith signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars, giving up his final year of college eligibility. He made his NHL debut on March 28, 2012, against the Edmonton Oilers, skating five shifts and recording one shot on goal in a 3-1 loss. After attending Dallas’s 2012 training camp, he was reassigned to the Stars’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, where he posted three assists in his first 11 AHL games.
Smith was recalled to Dallas in January 2013 and scored his first career NHL goal on February 15, 2013, against goaltender Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks. He added his second goal a few days later in a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames, earned a promotion to a top-six role alongside Derek Roy and Loui Eriksson, and finished his first full professional stint with six points in 28 games before a brief AHL reassignment.
Boston Bruins Era (2013-2015)
In July 2013, Smith was part of a blockbuster trade that sent him, Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, and Matt Fraser to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, and Ryan Button. He opened the preseason on Boston’s third line with Chris Kelly and Carl Söderberg before injuries pushed him up to a top-six role alongside Patrice Bergeron and Eriksson. Smith finished his first Bruins season with 19 goals and 30 assists, including 17 points in November, and was named the New England Sports Network’s 45th annual “7th Player,” an award given to the Bruin who most exceeded expectations as voted by the fans.
The following year, Smith recorded 13 goals and 27 assists in the regular season and added four goals and one assist in 12 playoff games for the Bruins.
Florida Panthers Era (2015-2017)
On July 1, 2015, Smith was traded by the Bruins, along with Marc Savard’s contract, to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jimmy Hayes. In his first season with Florida, he set a new career high with 50 points in 82 games and tied for third on the team in goal scoring. On July 3, 2016, he signed a five-year, $25 million contract extension with the Panthers.
Following the extension, Smith described his next season as disappointing, recording 15 goals and 22 assists in 2016-17. Over his time in Florida, he totaled 87 points in 162 games before being exposed in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
Vegas Golden Knights Era (2017-2023)
On June 21, 2017, Smith was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights at the expansion draft, joining Jonathan Marchessault as part of the package that sent a fourth-round pick in 2018 to the Panthers. He began 2017-18 on a line with William Karlsson and Marchessault, and the trio drew early praise as one of the team’s best combinations. By January, Smith had become a fixture on the first line, and in February he was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Month after posting 20 points in 14 games. He finished with a career-high 60 points in the regular season and added five goals and 17 assists in the playoffs as the Knights advanced all the way to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals.
The following season, Smith tied Marchessault for the team lead in assists with 34 and surpassed the 50-point mark for a second straight year. He recorded his 100th career NHL goal in a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 11, 2018, and later appeared in his 500th career NHL game. Smith recorded one goal and five assists as Vegas qualified for the playoffs again in 2019. In the paused 2019-20 season, he set a career high with 27 goals in 71 games and tied Mark Stone for the team playoff lead in points after the first round, snapping an 11-game goal drought in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars.
When Mark Stone was named team captain, Smith was appointed an alternate captain alongside Alex Pietrangelo, and on May 9, 2021, he recorded his first professional hat-trick in a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. On July 13, 2022, he signed a three-year, $15 million contract to remain with the Golden Knights. In 2022-23, Smith was one of six remaining original Golden Knights, alongside Marchessault, Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, and William Carrier. The Knights returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and won the Cup over the Florida Panthers in five games, with Smith starting the decisive Game 5 and scoring the Cup-clinching goal.
Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers Era (2023-2025)
On June 28, 2023, Smith was traded by the Golden Knights to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, a move general manager Kelly McCrimmon said was made to help the Knights retain Ivan Barbashev. On the first game of the 2023-24 season, Smith and Bryan Rust scored in the first 41 seconds of the third period to become the second-fastest Penguins teammates to score at the start of a period in franchise history. On July 1, 2024, he was traded by Pittsburgh to the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2025 and a second-round pick in 2027.
Return to Vegas (2025-Present)
On March 6, 2025, Smith was traded by the Rangers back to the Golden Knights in exchange for Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick in 2025. Following the season, he signed a one-year extension to remain with Vegas and avoid free agency, returning to the franchise where he won the Stanley Cup.
Notable Events and Milestones
Smith’s signature moment came on June 13, 2023, when he scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 5 of the Finals against the Florida Panthers. Other milestones include his 100th career NHL goal on October 11, 2018, his 500th career NHL game later that season, his first professional hat-trick on May 9, 2021, and being named an alternate captain for the Golden Knights alongside Alex Pietrangelo.
Reilly Smith Career Wins
Reilly Smith’s most prominent victory is the 2023 Stanley Cup championship with the Vegas Golden Knights, won over the Florida Panthers in five games. He also contributed to the Golden Knights’ run to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals in the franchise’s inaugural season, a year in which he set a career high with 60 points.
NHL and Playoff Highlights
Smith posted a career-high 27 goals in 71 games during the 2019-20 regular season and tied for the Golden Knights’ playoff lead in points after the first round. In 2017-18, he earned NHL Third Star of the Month honors for February after recording 20 points in 14 games and went on to finish the postseason with five goals and 17 assists as Vegas reached the Finals. Earlier, he had been named the Boston Bruins’ “7th Player” for the 2013-14 season after exceeding expectations with 19 goals and 30 assists.
Other Wins and Performances
Before turning professional, Smith won a bronze medal with Canada at the 2008 World Junior A Challenge and was named to multiple All-America and All-CCHA teams at Miami University, including a Hobey Baker Award finalist selection in his junior year.
Reilly Smith Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Smith was raised in an athletic family alongside his older brother Brendan Smith, a defenseman for the Dallas Stars, and his brother Rory Smith, who plays professionally in the National Lacrosse League. The three brothers grew up playing minor hockey together in Mimico with the Faustina Sports Club and later skated for the St. Michael’s Buzzers. Their parents, Lester Smith and Deirdre Smith, supported their early athletic development in the Etobicoke community.
2025 Season Performance
Smith’s 2024-25 season began with the New York Rangers, who had acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in July 2024. He served as a veteran right winger in New York before being dealt back to the Golden Knights on March 6, 2025, in a trade that sent Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick in 2025 to the Rangers. The move reunited him with the franchise where he had won the Stanley Cup two years earlier.
After the 2024-25 campaign, Smith signed a one-year extension to remain with Vegas, avoiding free agency and locking in his place on a contending roster. With multiple original Golden Knights still on the team, his experience and two-way play are expected to remain valuable as the club looks to build on its 2023 championship foundation.