The 27-year-old North Vancouver played in just seven games for the New York Islanders during the 2008-09 season, but had been stuck in the American Hockey League ever since with Bridgeport, Springfield, Syracuse and at the time, Norfolk.

It seems the personable Canadian finally found another organization that would give him the well-deserved second chance in the NHL, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have called him up for the second time this season after an All-Star season with the Admirals.

The 57 points he’s tallied in 50 games in the AHL are the most since that 2008-09 season with the Sound Tigers, which was a year removed from a 22-game stint in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies.

Smith made things look easy with the Grizzlies, posting an 11-14-25 line in 22 contests before heading back to Bridgeport for good. It was the next season in which he’d put things together at the AHL level, scoring a career-high 30 goals, and earning that first taste of the big time.

He even scored his first and so far only NHL goal on Jan. 8, 2009 against the Calgary Flames.

Smith now finds himself back in the NHL, where he’s played well, recording two assists in his first five games with the Lightning.

story and photo courtesy of the ECHL