T-Birds defenseman Jerret Smith is more than just ‘Steady Eddie’

Steady Eddie – that’s the phrase Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk often uses when praising the play of defenseman Jerret Smith.

While it may not sound like it, it’s actually pretty high praise for a defenseman. It means that Smith is reliable and can be counted on by his teammates and coaches.

It’s something Smith has been doing in his three years with the T-Birds. When you watch hockey you often notice the struggling defensemen more than you do the steady ones, because mistakes by the strugglers end up in the back of the net. Over his career with the T-Birds, Smith has often flown under the radar on the ice because he’s almost always in position and he makes sound plays in getting the puck out of the zone.

He’s a Steady Eddie.

“A big thing that I try to focus on is to come into every game and be really reliable,” the Surrey, British Columbia native said. “If they’re going to put me out there they can trust that I’m going to get the job done. It’s pretty important to me to be that kind of player.”

The Thunderbirds have been putting Smith out there pretty regularly since his arrival as a 17-year-old in 2014. Smith settled right into the team’s top-four defensive group and has remained there ever since. This season he’s added something new to his game.

This year he’s scoring goals.

Through 66 games this season Smith has set a career high in goals (10), assists (23) and points (33). He hasn’t just edged out his previous highs, he’s blown them away. His first two years he combined for only four goals and last year’s 19 points were his previous career high.

“It was a goal to get more points than last year,” he said. “The main thing is to play smart defensively first but definitely the goals came and the assists. I always knew I could score and put the puck in the net. It kind of took a while I guess for it to happen here but it’s nice to have a lot more goals than last year.”

His offense has landed him on the point as part of Seattle’s top power-play unit, a unit that is seventh best in the WHL.

Scoring goals is fun, but Smith hasn’t let the offense take away from his duties on the back end. He and partner Shea Theodore are deployed against the opponents’ top offensive line each game. That’s a daunting task considering the talent in the WHL, but Smith and Theodore have held their own. Even with the tougher work load, Smith has maintained a plus-seven rating this season.

Taking on that challenge is something that Smith relishes.

“It’s always a treat to get to play against the top players in our league,” he says. “It’s a test each night to see if you can shut them down. It’s a lot of fun, I really do enjoy that.”

His pairing with Theodore is something that has happened the past two seasons, and the two have undeniable chemistry. They are good friends off the ice and communicate well on it. Sometimes that communication is non-verbal.

“Sometimes we don’t even need to talk out there,” Smith says of Theodore. “We just know where each other is and we can make plays.”

The two defensemen grew up in the greater Vancouver area where Smith said he started off playing forward but got put at defense more and more each season. He says that he eventually was turned into a full-time defenseman and fell in love with the position. While honing his blue line skills his path did cross with Theodore from time to time.

“We played against each other most of the time so we were kind of rivals,” Smith said. “We knew each other but we really didn’t become good friends until playing for the ‘Birds.”

Seattle is glad they are good friends now and both players are part of the team’s veteran leadership group. Theodore is the team captain and Smith serves as one of the alternate captains. On a team filled with young rookies, Smith sees his role as a mentor.

“Set a good example on the ice,” Smith said of his role. “Working hard every day on and off the ice. Set a good example for the young guys and help them out. If you see they’re kind of struggling, talking to them and letting them know that it’s a hard year your first year.”

Smith remembers his first year in the league. He logged a lot of ice time as a 17-year-old rookie but overall was happy with how it turned out. That was his draft year, and while the NHL didn’t come calling that year he hasn’t given up on that dream. The team just watched Justin Hickman go through the same process. Undrafted during his draft year, Hickman worked hard and earned a contract with the Boston Bruins.

“When I saw that, it was good for Hicks,” Smith said. “I was happy for him and I’m striving for the same thing. That’s my No. 1 goal right now. Hopefully I can get a camp invite this summer if it works out and come back next year to try to get a contract.”

Everything Smith has accomplished this season can only help impress NHL scouts. He’s playing a high level defensive game and is now showing that he can score, play special teams and be a leader.

Not too bad for a Steady Eddie.

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