Oilers ink goalie Mike Smith to two-year extension
There's still one item remaining on Mike Smith's career to-do list - hoist the Stanley Cup.
The veteran goalie said there'd be no better way to cap his career than winning hockey's ultimate prize with the Edmonton Oilers.
“My goal was to come back to Edmonton and hopefully finish my career in Edmonton,” he said Saturday after signing a two-year, US$4.4-million extension with the Oilers. “I really enjoy playing there, I really enjoy living there. I really want to do everything I can to help this team win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton.”
At 39 years old, Smith knows his opportunities to capture a championship are limited and is “very motivated” to keep playing.
“I feel like I'm at a good spot mentally and physically right now, even at my age,” he said. “I feel like I still have some unfinished business to do. I'm really excited to be back and give it another whirl with the Oilers.”
Edmonton looked poised to make a run at the Cup last season after finishing the pandemic-condensed 56-game regular-season second in the all-Canadian North Division with a 35-19-2 record.
Smith was key to the success, going 21-6-2 with a .923 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average.
But the Oilers faltered in the playoffs and were swept from the first round by the Winnipeg Jets.
It's an experience the team can use as fuel moving forward, Smith said.
“I feel like we have some unfinished business to do,” he said. “I'm motivated to personally play as well as I did last year and as a team, hopefully we can learn from our mistakes that happened last year and move forward and try to build on something good that happened.”
A few weeks after the disappointing defeat, Smith met with Oilers general manager Ken Holland in Kelowna, B.C., where the netminder and his family make their off-season home. The pair “hashed things out,” Smith said, and his agent has been working with the club on the details of a contract extension ever since.
Originally picked by Dallas in the fifth round (161st overall) of the 2001 NHL entry draft, Smith has played 642 regular-season games for the Stars, Lightning, Coyotes, Flames and Oilers and boasts a 283-254-76 career record.
The native of Kingston, Ont., joined Edmonton as a free agent in July 2019 and signed a single-season, US$2 million contract extension with the club in October.
Heading into his 17th NHL season, Smith said he's learned to not take anything for granted when it comes to hockey.
“I just remember my first year in the league and how fast it's gone by and the limited chances you have to win the Stanley Cup and that's the ultimate goal,” he said. “So whatever I need to do to help this team do that, I'm all in. That's the last kind of thing I need to check off on my playing career.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.