There was never a doubt in Terrell Goldsmith’s mind that he would be back on the ice playing hockey again. Whether it was back in the NHL or the American Hockey League (AHL), there was no world in which he saw himself not lacing up the skates again.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Goldsmith looked like he could be a future solid player for the Utah Mammoth. He was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round back in 2023 and had four decent seasons with the Prince Albert Raiders, and was having a career year with the Tri-City Americans.
TERRELL GOLDSMITH OT HERO 🚨 pic.twitter.com/XY4zl0Jx0i
— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) October 29, 2024
Everything changed on March 11 thanks to one fight. It put Goldsmith’s pro hockey future in jeopardy. The road to recovery was long and never easy, filled with setbacks and extra injuries.
It all paid off on Wednesday, when Goldsmith played his first hockey game in eight months. It had been a long time coming, and people wondered whether he would even appear in an AHL game this season. However, heading into Wednesday, he decided to finally “rip off the band-aid.”
“It was like ripping the band-aid off,” Goldsmith said. “People ask if you’re ready. I was well prepared. It was fun. I loved it.”
An Unfortunate Accident Begins a Long Recovery
March 11 began as a normal game for Goldsmith and his WHL team, the Tri-City Americans. They were facing off against the Seattle Thunderbirds at home in a critical game. Both teams were fighting each other, trying to improve in the standings. The Americans had already clinched a playoff spot a couple of days earlier, while the Thunderbirds were seeking to secure their own postseason ticket.
It was all Thunderbirds in the first period, with Hayden Pakkala scoring on the power play early and then Antonio Martorana scoring right before the end of the first 20 minutes. The Americans were struggling. Goldsmith was doing his best, getting a shot on goal before the first intermission.
A minute and five seconds into the second period, Goldsmith decided to drop the gloves with Ashton Cumby. Fighting wasn’t anything new to Goldsmith. He had done it numerous times in his junior career with the Raiders and the Americans. For him, he was just trying to inject some life into his team.
The two met at center ice to fight. Cumby got the first punch in, a hard right jab. He got the second one as well, which popped off his opponent’s helmet before Goldsmith responded with a punch of his own. The two kept tussling until Cumby landed a punch right in Goldsmith’s face.
The punch instantly knocked out Goldsmith. He fell straight onto the ice, face-first. Medical staff quickly raced onto the ice as the two teams watched in horror. Goldsmith was stretchered off the ice, regained consciousness, and gave the crowd a thumbs-up. He was rushed to the local hospital, where he stayed overnight.
Related: Roadrunners’ Miko Matikka Turned Early Struggles Into Success With First AHL Goal
Goldsmith was discharged from the hospital the next night and was sent home to recover. That game against the Thunderbirds would end up being his last junior game. The defenseman watched his team get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Victoria Royals.
An update on Americans defenseman Terrell Goldsmith:
— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) March 13, 2025
Terrell Goldsmith was released from hospital last night and is currently resting at home. He will continue to be monitored by the Americans medical staff. The Tri-City Americans sincerely thank everyone for their kind words… pic.twitter.com/8J0oTJbO56
The summer was hard for Goldsmith. He had a couple of setbacks in his recovery process that kept him from playing in the Mammoth’s development camp scrimmage. However, the Mammoth kept supporting him along the way, encouraging him to keep working hard and reiterating their belief in him.
“I have their support, and they put a lot of time and energy into me, and I’m grateful for that,” Goldsmith said.
It was a rough recovery for Goldsmith. Not only did he suffer the injury from the fight against Cumby, but he also underwent shoulder surgery in April and wrist surgery in July. Yet, the Mammoth kept their belief instilled in Goldsmith.
The most important system that Goldsmith had was his family. Goldsmith is extremely close to his family. As you would expect, they were by his side every step of the way through his recovery. Looking back, he couldn’t be more grateful for that support.
“I’m pretty close to my family,” Goldsmith said. “I’d say I talk to them every day. They poured a lot of sacrifice into me.”
Entering the 2025-26 season, Goldsmith was sent down to the Tucson Roadrunners to continue his recovery. It was a great move for the defenseman as he got to be around pros like Kevin Rooney and Robbie Russo and learn from them. He also got to be around the Roadrunners’ locker room, which was critical, since he knew he would eventually play with the team.
Another big part of Goldsmith’s recovery was the trainers and coaches he had with the Americans, Mammoth, and Roadrunners. The Roadrunners’ coaches and trainers especially helped him throughout September, October, and November as he prepared for his return to the ice.
“The past two and a half months, I worked pretty close to our physio and strength coach,” Goldsmith said. “They helped me along and pushed me towards returning.”
Ripping Off the Band-Aid
As Goldsmith returned to 100%, head coach Steve Potvin gave him control over his situation. When the defenseman was ready, he would be put into the lineup.
Potvin knew the young defenseman had a lot of questions swirling around his head, especially after eight months of recovery. It was up to the defenseman to get to the point where he could “rip off the band-aid.”
“Is he going to be able to feel as good as he always has?” Potvin said. “Is he going to be able to make a full return? I think once he got to a certain point, he said, Enough is enough. Let’s rip the band-aid off and let’s go.”
With months’ worth of recovery leading up to it, Goldsmith told Potvin he was ready for Wednesday’s game against the San Diego Gulls, and into the lineup he went. He was placed on the bottom pair with Russo, giving him a responsible and experienced partner for his first game.
Mammoth prospect Terrell Goldsmith is playing today for the Roadrunners. It is his first hockey game since his massive injury in March. #TusksUp #LetsGoTucson pic.twitter.com/gdnzRQBIjU
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) November 27, 2025
Something that might slip the minds of people keeping an eye on Goldsmith’s return to hockey is that the game against the Gulls wasn’t just his first hockey game in months; it was his first AHL game ever. There’s a big difference between juniors and the AHL. Goldsmith noticed the change in pace; more physicality, more skill, and more players hungry to improve.
“Lots of little quick plays out there, like little bumps and guys are faster,” Goldsmith said. “Systems are big too, but I find the little plays and forechecks come faster.”
Goldsmith quickly made an impact in his first game. Despite not getting much ice time in the first period, he played well when he was on the ice. His ice time kept increasing until he found himself playing a majority of the third period. He even finished the game as a plus-one.
His teammates were impressed. One of whom was Rooney, who is no stranger to the pro level of hockey, appearing in 331 NHL games.
“He was awesome,” Rooney said. “He was great tonight. I told him after the first period, if he plays like that every game, he’s going to play for a long time in this league and in the NHL as well. I’m excited to see what he does going forward.”
The Roadrunners made sure to hound him postgame, giving him lots of congratulations and stick taps. They knew how big the game was for Goldsmith. Just as they were throughout the past couple of months, they were right there to support him on his AHL debut.
It was a massive game for Goldsmith. Coming back from the on-ice incident and two surgeries at the young age of 20 is no easy feat. However, the defenseman did it, and he couldn’t be happier and more grateful to be on the ice in Tucson against the Gulls.
“Big step for me with the long recovery,” Goldsmith said. “I’m grateful for the treatment I got here with the trainers and Utah this summer. It was exciting for me and my family to be back out there.”
Speaking of his family, they had just left southern Arizona just before Goldsmith’s debut game. After helping him get through the hardest couple of months in his life, they made sure to tune in despite their nervousness.
“They were pumped,” Goldsmith said. “They were watching. I haven’t talked to them yet, but I’m sure they loved it. I’m sure my mom was nervous, but I’m sure she was happy.”
Going forward, Goldsmith wants to continue to improve his game despite his impressive debut. He realized that the AHL is way different from his time in the WHL. With that, Goldsmith wants to improve on his passes and plays along the board. It’ll take some time for him to get fully acclimated to the pro level, but he’s looking forward to playing more games.
Goldsmith is a player who can be hard on himself. During the game, he told Potvin and the other coaches he felt weird being back on the ice. Potvin and the coach were taken aback. To them, he looked great, which culminated in Potvin giving him a lot more ice time in the third period. The head coach is excited to see what Goldsmith has up his sleeve next and knows the best is yet to come.
“He looked really strong,” Potvin said. “He gained a lot of trust. Tonight he played a simple, effective, hard game. You can see he has a bright future.”
It was an insane and hard eight months for Goldsmith. When he signed his entry-level deal with Utah last season, he probably would’ve never expected his career to take the twists and turns it did, including on that fateful March night.
Yet, Goldsmith never quit, and he knew he would end up where he wanted to be someday. After the game on Wednesday, he was asked what he would say to himself if he could go back to when he was in the hospital in March. Thinking over it for a second, he responded with a simple answer.
“Keep going,” Goldsmith said. “It all works out in the end.”
At the end of the day, it worked out in the end for Goldsmith. He looks like he’ll be a big part of a solid blueline for the Roadrunners and perhaps a potential future NHLer. After eight months of waiting to play another game, the payoff has arrived. The band-aid is ripped off, and it couldn’t have been more rewarding for Goldsmith.
