It seemed only apt to have Colin Smith as the next part of this series following on from his namesake Ben.

Colin was a point per game producer through his time in the Western Hockey League, finishing fourth overall in scoring in the 2012-13 season, his final year of junior.

Drafted 192nd overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Smith signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club in July of the following year.

The forward would turn professional with the Lake Erie Monsters later that fall after being reassigned to the American Hockey League.

Rather surprisingly the rookie was the only player on the roster to play all 76 regular-season games.
He led all rookies on the team in scoring with 34 points and was third in Monsters scoring as Colorado’s affiliate struggled to produce offense.

An NHL recall arrived in Smith’s sophomore campaign after injuries left Colorado short-handed.
On December 1, 2014, he made his NHL debut, as a centre on the fourth line, in a 4–3 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Edmonton native wouldn’t know it at the time but that would prove his first and last NHL game.

In the last year of his entry-level contract, Smith was once again reassigned to the AHL, though now with Colorado’s brand new AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage.
The diminutive forward was on pace to record career highs in all categories having produced 34 points in 54 games but was dispatched by Colorado in a trade with Toronto in exchange for Shawn Matthis on February 21, 2016.

The Toronto Marlies would ultimately benefit from the trade as the Maple Leafs immediately reassigned Smith to the AHL.

An acclimatisation period is often required when you switch conferences in the AHL.
It took Smith two games to find his feet and then got stuck into Eastern Conference teams who felt the fury of his offensive output.

A four-point outburst (2-2-4) in that third game, a home encounter with the Rochester Americans, lit the fire for Smith, who would go on to record a further five multipoint hauls before the regular season was completed.
A total of 22 points (7-15-22) in twenty-three games helped Toronto to win divisional, conference and league titles.

There would be no fairy tale in the playoffs, however, the first in Smith’s career, as the Marlies fell in the Conference Finals.

Despite not being tendered a qualifying offer in the off-season by the Maple Leafs, Smith opted to stay within the organisation, penning a one-year AHL contract with the Marlies.

The 2016-17 Marlies were not the juggernaut of the previous campaign with much of the roster either now in the NHL or have moved on.

The Canadian forward still mustered 28 points (8-20-28) in 52 games but the parties parted ways with Smith traded to San Antonio in exchange for Mike Sislo.
As the year before, Smith finished the season strongly, recording 19 points in twenty-one outings for San Antonio.

The Colorado draft pick signed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the 2017-18 season but suffered an early injury which prevented him from making an initial good impression.
He would then be traded to the Stockton Heat in February 2018, and once more finished a season on a high with 17 points in 24 games for Calgary’s affiliate.

Like many before him, Smith wasn’t content to bounce around the AHL for the remainder of his career.

In the summer of 2018, he opted to head overseas.
Playing in Germany for two seasons with three different clubs failed to work for the Canadian. In 102 games split between Eisbären Berlin, ERC Ingolstadt and Kölner Haie, Smith mustered a mere eight goals and 38 points.

Unperturbed by his lack of success, Smith remained in Europe and is currently with Swedish outfit Väsby IK, who play in Hockey Allsvenskan.
At the time of writing, Smith has racked up three goals and fifteen assists for 18 points in thirteen games.
One of his current teammates at Väsby IK is another former Marlie, Tobias Lindberg.

Colin Smith’s record with the Toronto Marlies
Regular Season:
75 Games 15-35-50

Playoffs:
9 Games 1-4-5

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