Post-playing Career
Ironically, Smith's playing career ended in the fall of 1987 following a hit by Clark during an intrasquad training camp game. Having just signed a three-year contract, Smith eventually retired as a result of the back injury, running a charter-fishing business before returning home to Windsor in 1989 to coach the Spitfires for two-and-half years. After returning the Spits to respectability, Smith joined the Edmonton Oilers scouting staff in 1991, serving under Glen Sather.
At the start of the 1995–96 season, Smith became a scout for the Colorado Avalanche. There, he enjoyed perhaps his finest moment, deconstructing Scotty Bowman's left-wing lock during the 1996 playoffs and neutralizing it as Colorado beat the favoured Red Wings and went on to win the Stanley Cup. "Smith noticed the Red Wings' left wingers, who stayed back to help the defense, were small," The Sporting News reported. "So the Avalanche made sure to softly dump the puck into the right corner, where the Avs' forwards pounced. This wore down Detroit's left wingers." Colorado won the series, and by the time the Avalanche swept the Florida Panthers in the finals, Detroit general manager Ken Holland was publicly crediting Smith with that key assist in Colorado's successful run. The Avalanche won another cup in 2001, and Smith's name is now engraved on the Stanley Cup. He currently serves as the Avalanche Director of Player Personnel.
In October, 2009, Smith was inducted into the Windsor-Essex County Sports Hall of Fame.
Read more about this topic: Brad Smith (ice Hockey)
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