| Born: | January 28, 1958 | Draft: | 1978 Canucks #40 Overall |
| Hometown: | Glendon, AB | Position: | RW |
| Known For: | Nicknamed “Steamer” | Shoots: | Right |
| National Team: | Canada | Current Team: | Vancouver Canucks (VP of Hockey Ops) |
Stanley Philip Smyl (born January 28, 1958) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is currently the vice president of hockey operations for the Vancouver Canucks. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship in 1977 and 1978. He was selected 40th overall by the Canucks in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft and went on to play his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the team until his retirement in 1991. Smyl was born in Glendon, Alberta, but grew up in St. Paul, Alberta.
Nicknamed “Steamer” by the Bellingham Blazer fans for his relentless and hard-nosed style of play, he served as captain for a team-record eight seasons, later tied by Henrik Sedin. He retired as the Canucks’ all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points – all of which have been since surpassed by Trevor Linden and Markus Näslund. His assist record was also passed by Henrik Sedin. Smyl’s number 12 was the first retired number in Canucks’ history, as it was raised to the Pacific Coliseum rafters in 1991. It now hangs with Pavel Bure‘s number 10, Trevor Linden’s number 16, and Markus Näslund’s number 19, Daniel Sedin’s number 22, and Henrik Sedin’s number 33 at Rogers Arena.
The end of his playing career coincided with the beginning of a 13-year coaching career, serving as an assistant with the Canucks and a head coach with the club’s minor league affiliates: the Syracuse Crunch, Kansas City Blades, and Manitoba Moose. Upon being let go as coach of the Moose, he was reassigned to the Canucks’ front office where he has served as director of player development and director of collegiate scouting, before being appointed the role as senior advisor of hockey operations. In December 2021, Smyl briefly served as interim general manager of the Canucks after general manager Jim Benning was relieved of his duties. He was then promoted to vice president of hockey operations shortly after.
Years as an NHL player: 1978-1991
Years as an NHL coach: 1991-1999
Years as an NHL executive: 2005-present
Stan Smyl Statistics
Deeper Dive
- Canucks 6 Retired Numbers
- Vancouver Canucks’ Draft-Day Steals
- Vancouver Canucks’ Top-20 Goal Scorers of All-Time
- Darcy Rota and the Vancouver Canucks’ 1982 Stanley Cup Run
- Canucks 7 Members of the Ring of Honour
- Vancouver Canucks History of Team Captains
Coaching History
- NHL Vancouver Canucks (Assistant Coach): 1991-1999
- AHL Syracuse Crunch (Head Coach): 1999-2000
- IHL Kansas City Blades (Head Coach): 2000-2001
- AHL Manitoba Moose (Head Coach): 2001-2004
Front Office History
- Vancouver Canucks (Director of Player Development): 2005-2008, 2015-2020
- Vancouver Canucks (Senior Advisor): 2008-2021
- Vancouver Canucks (Interim GM): Dec. 5, 2021-Dec. 9, 2021
- Vancouver Canucks (VP of Hockey Operations) 2021-present
Achievements
- Captain of the Canucks (1982-1990)
- World Championship Silver Medal (1985)
- Memorial Cup All-Star Team (1978)
- Two-time Memorial Cup Champion (1977, 1978)
- Memorial Cup Most Valuable Player (Stafford Smythe Trophy) (1978)
- U20 World Junior Championship Bronze Medal (1978)
- WCHL Champion (1978)