Steinbach Pistons forward Cole Smith is set to continue his hockey career at the University of North Dakota, following his 20 year old season in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

For the normally quiet and reserved Smith, it was hard to hide the excitement of going to such a high level hockey program and he can remember where it all got started. "We have pictures of me back home at two or three years old pushing a yellow chair around the rink on our lake back home in Brainerd, Minnesota. Ever since then (my dad) has built a rink. After supper every night, we'd have the lights on the rink and we'd all play, my sisters and my dad, it was just a good time."

Smith would play his entire hockey career in Brainerd, but it wasn't just hockey that kept his mind and his skills sharp. "I was a three sport athlete through high school. I played football and hockey then track in the spring. It was nice with the schedule, it was all based on hockey. Football was the first season in fall, then hockey and then track. In my senior year there was a little bit of run over, we took second in State for football so I didn't get to hockey practice for a few weeks. I made it for the first game though so it's not too bad. Track was my third sport so I went with hockey as long as we played and then took track. I didn't miss much, maybe a few indoor practices or meetings. I guess you could say I'm a natural athlete (Smith says with a smile and a laugh). 

Smith (left) smiles and laughs with teammates after the final game of the MJHL regular season for Steinbach. (Photo credit: Andrea Pries)Having grown up in Brainerd and getting to play all his athletics there, Smith knows he's had it pretty great when it comes to the fan support. "It's awesome, cause you know everyone at the rink. There's a big student section and you know everyone, grew up with them so it's pretty surreal." High school is also where Smith developed his game on the ice. "I was a physical player in high school with a little bit of skill, you can be more physical cause you can get away with it more. My coaches were great. My head coach played a little bit professionally and he played at UND too. He was a hard nosed coach that could get after you. It's good for you in high school, just to learn that's how hockey will be later on. It really motivated me to go on and work as hard as I can. Minnesota has the best high school hockey around the world, it's well known for. They just wrapped up the State Tournament, the biggest high school tournament in the world which is very cool. When people don't get to experience it, they really don't know what you get through it. It was one of the best things I've ever been through."

Minnesota is a terrific sport state and being such an athlete in multiple sports, Smith relied on his family to help him along in his journey. "Football is a big sport in Minnesota but it's not as big as you would say in Texas, but we have some good football schools. There wasn't really any pressure from anyone to pick one sport or the other. From my family, they let me decide. Whatever I felt that I wanted to do was what I would do. It was a really tough decision between hockey and football but I felt that hockey was the way to go."

Looking back over his high school career, Smith laughs when he talks about missing events other kids dreamed of all through their high school years. "I actually missed graduation for hockey. I missed a lot my senior year for hockey. I missed my prom, which I did have a date but she found someone else cause I had a National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Then for graduation I had State track meet and try outs for the United States Hockey League the same weekend, so I missed a little bit cause of hockey."

After graduation, Smith tried out for the Sioux Falls Stampede, a Tier 1 junior hockey team in the USHL based out of South Dakota with his mind set fully on one sport. "I tried out cause I knew I was going to play hockey. I was one of the last ones cut. After that I was kind of wondering what I was going to do. I talked to my uncle Sandy who played professionally with coach Paul (Dyck) and just from talking to them, I knew (Steinbach) was a place I should come to." Smith credits the relationship skills of Dyck for helping ease the stress of such a big decision. "It was a huge factor because he's so good with people and with guys on the team. He really communicates well. Also, he's a good family friend to us and I knew he would take care of not only me, but as a team, we would be taken care of."

Smith, like many American's had not really had a chance to come to Canada and he recalls the drive to the Great White North. " I remember getting across the boarder and I was just wondering where I was. It was all flat farm land out there. But Steinbach has really grown on me. I love the goose hunting, the falls are outstanding and I really love that a lot. It's a really tight community too and you can tell they love their hockey."

Smith (Top row, third from right) poses with the other 20 year old graduating players of the Steinbach Pistons.Coming back to Steinbach for his final year of junior hockey was a little easier for the normally quite and reserved Smith. "My first year was kind of hard cause I'm kind of a shy guy so it was hard to make friends." Smith says with a smile. "By the end of the year I made a lot of friends and we were really close. Coming in this year knowing my billits and teammates who I became best friends with, made it easier to move away from home."

A uncertain future was staring Smith in the face and Smith knows it weighed heavy on his mind as the season went along. "It's definitely difficult coming in not knowing what next year is going to hold. But I'm pleased to say I've committed to the University of North Dakota and I'm very excited about it. It's a great organization and great tradition. They're actually number 1 in the nation right now and that's pretty unique. It lifts the monkey off my back but it hasn't really hit me that it's happened yet. Maybe in a couple weeks or so I'll realize that it has happened. I'm very excited for next year, it's going to be a great place to be. Now that I have this behind me, I can go focus on a championship and that's what we're after." 

As the MJHL playoffs are set to begin and a bright future with UND a head of him, Smith knows he's here because of something he was taught at a very young age by the same man who made a rink from him and watched as he pushed a yellow chair around learning to skate. "My overall work ethic, I think I get it from my dad. He's very inspirational in that aspect, just making sure when I did something, I didn't do it half way. If I did something, I'd do it full out."

For Cole Smith, he has words of advice to younger players coming up in the game and for his team mates wearing the Steinbach Pistons jersey, it's a quote to which he continues to live by. "Be the hardest worker in the room. Whether it be on the ice, in the weight room, in the classroom or in the community, you have to be the hardest worker out there."