There wasn’t much noise around Cole Smith when the Chicago Blackhawks brought him in on July 1, but the move fits a very specific need. He’s the kind of fourth-line winger who won’t grab headlines on free agency’s opening day, yet he brings the sort of workmanlike edge teams lean on when games get tight.
Smith said last week that part of what pulled him away from the Vegas Golden Knights was Chicago’s belief in where it’s headed. He said the Blackhawks made him feel wanted and were excited to have him on the roster, and the three-year deal gave him something he hadn’t had before: stability.
Smith’s path to Chicago has been built on persistence, not draft-night buzz. He was born in Brainerd, MN, on Oct. 28, 1995, and came from a family full of athletes.
Both parents competed in college - his father in football, his mother in track. His younger sister is currently playing hockey at Bemidji State University, and another sister played soccer there.
Smith himself was a multi-sport kid who showed up everywhere: he played in the U10 Little League World Series, then went on to play hockey, football, and track and field at Brainerd High School.
He also made his mark on the football field. Like Blackhawks prospect Mason West, Smith had a strong run on the gridiron, helping Brainerd to a 12-1 record in 2013 as a defensive back and wide receiver.
He was named the team’s defensive player of the year and earned All-Conference and All-State honors. On the ice, he was a three-year varsity starter and piled up 110 points.
His college route wasn’t smooth, either. After being cut from the USHL’s Sioux Stampede, Smith moved to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, where his two junior seasons drew college attention.
That led him to the University of North Dakota, where he scored in his NCAA debut against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Oct. 15, 2016.
He spent four seasons at North Dakota, won the Cliff 'Fido' Purpur Award in his junior year for hard work and determination, and wore an assistant captain’s letter as a senior. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic cutting that season short, he finished with a career-best 11 goals and 18 points and was a finalist for the 2020 NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year.
Smith also had to earn every inch of his pro career. He went undrafted and wrapped up his college days by signing a one-year deal with the Nashville Predators in March 2020.
He began his first pro season in the ECHL, then worked his way onto the Predators’ taxi squad. His NHL debut came against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 14, 2021, and that was his only NHL appearance that season before he was sent back to the Chicago Wolves a week later.
The Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s AHL affiliate, suspended operations during the COVID season, so the Wolves split affiliation with them and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Smith eventually carved out a regular NHL role in 2022-23, appearing in 69 games for Nashville. His first NHL point came on Oct. 7, 2022, when he set up Eeli Tolvanen’s goal against the San Jose Sharks.
He followed that with his first two-point game on Oct. 27, 2022, against the St. Louis Blues.
His first nine points were all assists, and seven of them were primary assists.
The goals came later. Smith scored his first NHL goal against Jonathan Quick on Jan. 21, 2023, with Roman Josi picking up the primary assist. He had his first two-goal game on Oct. 19, 2023, against Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers, then scored his first career shorthanded goal on Dec. 21, 2023, against the Philadelphia Flyers.
His playoff breakthrough arrived with Vegas this spring. Smith didn’t record a postseason point until the Golden Knights’ opening game of their run to the Stanley Cup Final against the Utah Mammoth, when he picked up his first assist. He scored his first playoff goal in Game 4 and finished that series with two goals and four points.
The biggest moment of his career came in the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Avalanche. Vegas swept the Presidents’ Trophy winners, outscoring them 14-7, and Smith delivered the series-clinching goal in Game 4. That put the Golden Knights ahead 2-0 late in the third period before Gabriel Landeskog scored with two minutes left to make Smith’s goal the winner.
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