Despite it being a Thursday—a school day—Ty Smith was able to hear his name called in the WHL’s Bantam Draft back in May. After having just returned from a tournament with his Delta Hockey Academy team, Smith parked himself in front of a television set. Instead of squirming, wondering where he would end up being selected, he waited about five minutes to hear the Spokane Chiefs make him the league’s top pick. Smith became the first defenceman selected No. 1 since 2009 when Portland took Derrick Pouliot. For Spokane, it was the start to a strong draft day, as they stocked their pipeline in a way that could make them a serious contender over the next couple of seasons.
Smith went into the draft unsure where he was going to get picked and Spokane ended the drama early. “It was a pretty good feeling when I heard my name called,” the humble 15-year-old says. “I was very honored to go to the Chiefs.”
The Alberta product spearheaded a good Delta bantam squad last year. It was the first year that Delta Hockey Academy iced a bantam team and what a first year it was. They won four major tournaments, had a player go first in the WHL Draft and saw eight others picked by WHL clubs. Smith filled the stat sheet for Delta with 28 points in only 16 games, including some highlight-reel plays.
But Scott May, Delta’s director of hockey operations says that Smith’s contribution to the team’s success went beyond goals and assists. “He’s a special kid, he was drafted No. 1 overall and the hockey attributes are second to none,” May says. “Unless you talk to him, you don’t really understand his true character, passion for the game and compassion for his teammates. You don’t find that very often.”
Smith also has as an ability to draw defenders to him which routinely odd-man rushes. “Mentally he’s a couple plays ahead of everybody,” May says. “It would be hard to bet against him. Obviously there’s challenges he’ll face as he moves on. I think that’s where his hockey IQ and smarts will help.”
Smith likes to model his game after Duncan Keith and Erik Karlsson and also feels that his hockey sense has helped him on the ice. He claims the Oilers as his favorite NHL team for now, but watches as much hockey as he can regardless of who’s playing. Like most 15-year-old, soon-to-be WHLers he knows that he has to work on getting stronger, which is his main focus this summer.
With one more year to go before he can play in the WHL, Smith and his family decided to leave Delta and return to Lloydminster, ALta., to play midget. After that, he’ll hope to make the Spokane roster in 2016.
It’s been a summer with several high-end WHL prospects like Tyson Jost, Dante Fabbro and Auston Matthews exploring playing options outside of the WHL, but Smith wasted no time in making up his mind. Within a week of being drafted he signed on with Spokane, thus ending any speculation that he might consider another route. “Ever since I was a kid I told my Dad I wanted to play in the Western Hockey League,” Smith says. “I’m just going to keep working so hopefully that comes true.”
Smith joins a Chiefs organization poised for a run in the coming years. Smith was selected with a pick the Chiefs got in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades. They then chose Koby Morriseau from Grandview, Man., with the 10th pick in the draft. Morriseau is a big, goal-scoring power forward who will give Spokane yet another threat. In two years Smith and Morriseau will join the other young talent on the current roster led by Kailer Yamamoto, who will only be 17 this coming season and is coming off an impressive 23-goal rookie year.
The Chiefs are going to be competitive in 2015, but come the 2016 season, when Smith arrives, they could be fighting for the top spot in the Western Conference. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about the organization,” he says. “Good people around there, heard it’s a good city and fan base. I’m excited to become part of the Chiefs family.”