Stan Smil, who spent 45 years with the Vancouver Canucks, will now have a day-to-day role with the club.
No player has been with the Vancouver Canucks longer than Stan Smill. The 65-year-old former Canucks captain will step back from his active role within the organization, but will remain an ambassador for the club.
The Canucks made the announcement Thursday. Mr. Smil steps down from his position as Vice President of Hockey Operations.However, he will continue to represent the Canucks at community, business and charity events.
“When I moved to Vancouver in 1978, I could never have imagined the positive journey it would become over the next 40 years. This team and community mean everything to me and my family. I am truly grateful for all the relationships and experiences I have had.”
The Canucks selected Steamer with the 40th overall pick in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft, and he played in the seventh-most games of any player taken in that draft, scoring 673 points in 896 games. Even before he was drafted, Smil was a Vancouver legend, winning two Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins. In his second Memorial Cup, Smil led the tournament with 14 points in just five games.
Smil became the heart and soul of the Canucks, embodying their gritty, blue-collar identity in the ’80s. In his first training camp, Smil drove 6-foot-3 defenseman Harold Snepst so hard into the boards that Canucks head coach Harry Neal said, “If it wasn’t for the glass, Harold would still be flying.” He emphasized his presence to the extent that he said, “I guess so.”
Snepst and the others didn’t seem to take it personally. The next day, the defenseman said cheerfully, “That Stan Smil is exactly the type of player we need.”
Unsurprisingly, Smil quickly won the hearts of Vancouver fans, who appreciated his never-give-up approach to the game.
“My work ethic probably helped me get to this point,” Smil told Mike Beamish of the Vancouver Sun years later, after his playing career ended. “I didn’t get there with my scoring ability or my talent or my stats. I never gave up. I’m pretty proud of that. I think I basically played with heart. I never took the easy path. It took me a long time.”
Smil’s greatest accomplishment as a player came when he led the Canucks to the 1982 Stanley Cup Final. By sheer coincidence, he was appointed captain just before the start of the playoffs, and then in the playoffs he led the team like Cinderella, scoring 18 goals in 17 games. He served as captain for the next eight seasons before ceding the ‘C’ spot to Trevor Linden.
After retiring, Smil remained with the Canucks, moving from sitting on the bench to behind the scenes as an assistant coach from 1991 to 1999. After that, Smil wore several hats. He was the head coach for several years in the Canucks’ farm system, served as director of player development and senior advisor in the team’s front office, and oversaw college scouting when Chris Tanev was signed. The Rochester Institute of Technology’s Ph.D.
Smil also briefly served as the Canucks’ general manager when Jim Benning was fired. Although Smil’s tenure as general manager lasted only four days, it was a remarkable success. The team went undefeated during his tenure and had a two-game winning streak, the longest of the season at that point.
Through it all, Smil’s passion for the Canucks never waned.
“This is my team. It’s just me. I’ll always do what’s best for this organization. Whenever I’m asked to help, I’ll give it my all,” Smil said upon taking over as general manager. Told. “Wearing that jersey also comes with a great responsibility.”
Smil was a living embodiment of that responsibility and pride as a player, and that responsibility and pride continued throughout his time with the Canucks. As he enters a well-deserved retirement, Canucks fans can only say, “Thank you, Stan.”
