Captain Canada has left the country…sort of. He’s still 100% Canadian, but for the first time, Ryan Smyth began a hockey season playing for a non-Canadian team, the Colorado Avalanche. Smyth grew up in Banff, Alberta; he played his major junior hockey in Saskatchewan for the Moose Jaw Warriors; skated for a few games in Nova Scotia with the old Cape Breton Oilers of the American Hockey League; and then spent 11-plus seasons tearing up the NHL with Edmonton.

Along the way, Smyth also competed for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships (1995), the World Cup of Hockey (2004), the Olympics (2002, 2006) and six World Hockey Championships (1999-2005), the last five as team captain. Having answered the bell for his country that many times, it’s no wonder people call him Captain Canada.

Smyth burst onto the scene during the 1996-1997 season, his first full NHL campaign. He led all Edmonton players with 39 goals, including 20 on the power play. Those 20 power play goals tied for the lead league that season and also tied an Oilers team record, held by Wayne Gretzky.

During the next ten seasons, Smyth endeared himself to hockey fans across Canada by wearing his hair mullet style and playing with heart and passion every time he stepped on the ice. He would have seven more seasons with 20 or more goals, but he’s remembered more for his tenacious and brave style of play.

Smyth doesn’t have a booming slapshot and he doesn’t zoom past defenders with blazing speed. Smyth’s greatest skills are that
he drives to the net with reckless abandon and battles for the puck as well as anyone in the NHL. But all of that physical play has taken its toll on Smyth.

Sporting a nose broken too many times to count as well as lost teeth and numerous scars, Smyth has received stitches and been back on the ice without missing a shift many times. It’s that kind of team-first attitude that’s made Smyth a Canadian favourite. But nothing lasts forever.

It’s fair to say that the 2006-2007 season was a disappointing one for the Oilers. The team missed the playoffs by 25 points and finished 12th in the Western Conference. By February, the Oilers were pretty much out of the playoff race. Talk had turned to what was going to happen with Smyth. He was in the last year of his contract and negotiations were ongoing. While the Oilers worked on a contract with Smyth’s representatives, the trade deadline loomed. NHL fans didn’t really think much of it; nobody seriously considered Smyth leaving Edmonton. But just minutes before the deadline a shocker was announced—Smyth had been traded!

After being unable to reach a contract agreement, the Oilers had decided that they just couldn’t risk losing Smyth for nothing. Almost as shocking as Smyth leaving the Oil was the revelation that he was headed to the New York Islanders. Nobody saw that coming.

In exchange for Smyth, the Oilers received two former 1st round selections, Ryan O’Marra (15th overall in 2005) and Robert Nilsson (15th overall in 2003). Edmonton also picked up the Islanders’ 1st round selection in the 2007 entry draft, which they later used on big, playmaking defenceman Alex Plante from the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.

“I always thought we would get a deal done [with Smyth],” Edmonton general manager Kevin Lowe said after the trade. “I know it’s not a popular move. This is not a popularity contest. This is about winning Stanley Cups. We’re not a better team today with Ryan gone but we will be better,” Lowe assured Oilers fans.

Although Smyth was sad to leave the Oilers, he was typically classy as he left town. “I’m going to go there [New York] and do my best and make the playoffs and win that Cup.”

So, after some tearful thank-yous and farewells, Smyth left the Oil for the Isle. Meanwhile in New York, the Islanders couldn’t have been happier. “This guy [Smyth] is not only going to make our team better right now, but the whole organization as far as setting a standard,” said Islanders coach Ted Nolan after hearing of the trade. “Probably the most important thing is his demeanour, his attitude, his character inside the dressing room,” explained Nolan.

The acquisition of Smyth worked for the Islanders. With the new man in their lineup, New York collected points in 12 of their last 19 games. In a crazy finish to the season, the Islanders won their last four games and squeaked into the playoffs by just a single point over the 9th place Maple Leafs. Smyth collected 15 points in those games and played his usual reckless, team-first style.

Unfortunately for Smyth and the Islanders, the playoffs didn’t go quite as they would have liked. Forced to play the powerful Buffalo Sabres in the first round, New York bowed out in five games. Smyth was his usual determined self though and finished as the team’s top playoff scorer and its emotional leader.

Every summer, July 1st marks the beginning of NHL free agency. The Islanders tried hard to sign Smyth, but he decided to move back to the Western Conference and play for Colorado. Smyth was gracious in his departure from New York. “Right from the get-go, they [the Islanders] treated us with a great deal of respect. They gave us every opportunity to want to come back there,” said Smyth.

“I have a great deal of respect for that organization,” continued Smyth. “They were right there to the bitter end. We were back-and-forth with a few different teams and obviously Colorado. I hope nothing but the best for them.”

So Smyth left the Isle with as much class as when he arrived. Nobody was surprised.

During his introductory press conference in Denver, Smyth was asked what made him want to sign with Colorado, a team that missed the playoffs last season. “Joe Sakic, future Hall of Famer,” Smyth stated matter of factly. “The guy has won, he knows what it takes to win. He’s the backbone of this team and the organization. He had an influence on my family and myself coming this way.” Asked to be a little more specific, Smyth laughed. “You can’t tell all the secrets,” he said. “He’s well respected. A gentleman and a scholar. He just said, ‘hey, we’d love to have you. I know the team and the organization is thinking about you.’ He really expressed the fact that we [Colorado] were really close last year and if we got in [to the playoffs] you never know what can happen.” That’s true and Smyth knows what he’s talking about. It was just two seasons ago that the Oilers squeaked into the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Western Conference and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, eventually losing to the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I think the big thing is he [Sakic] just felt confident…to have that, I think, it sold me in a lot of ways,” Smyth explained.

Avs fans hope that confidence carries over into this season. Colorado is definitely improved, but will be in tough to get back to the playoffs in the highly competitive Western Conference.

And what about Edmonton? Will he miss playing for the Oilers? “Well I have a lot of friends and family back in that area,” answered Smyth. “Eleven and a half years on one team you find an attachment, not only in the hockey community and the organization but also in the community itself. We hung our hat there like it was home. So it was tough leaving there.”

It’s fair to say that it was just as tough on the Oilers and their fans.

So Captain Canada has left the county, but he hasn’t left his country behind. It’ll be a bit weird seeing Smyth in an Avalanche jersey. And he’ll have to get used to not hearing “O Canada” before each game. But Oilers fans will still have a chance to see Smyth at least eight times this season—he’s still in their division.