Canisius Names Dave Smith Head Ice Hockey Coach

BUFFALO, N.Y. ? Canisius College President Rev. Vincent M. Cooke, S.J., announced today that Dave Smith has been named the school's new head men's ice hockey coach. He is the third coach in the program's 25-year history, and has spent the past three seasons as the associate coach and recruiting coordinator at fellow Atlantic Hockey member Mercyhurst College.
“Dave Smith has proven his worth as a top-notch recruiter and assistant coach in Division I hockey,” said Father Cooke. “We look for him to continue the strong tradition of hockey here at Canisius and help take the program to the next level.”
During his seven years as an assistant coach at Mercyhurst, Bowling Green and Miami of Ohio, Smith recruited and coached 16 all-league award winners, four Players of the Year, two Hobey Baker Award Finalists, two Rookies of the Year and three Terry Flanagan Award Winners for Perseverance. The Arthur, Ontario, native was instrumental in guiding Mercyhurst to two league championships and two NCAA Division I Tournament appearances in the last three seasons.

“Our search committee and a variety of people who interviewed Dave on campus came to a consensus that he is a perfect fit for the Canisius hockey program and Canisius community,” said Ellen O. Conley, Ph.D., vice president for student affairs. “His energy and exuberance are contagious, and we are excited about the possibilities for our program under Dave's leadership.”

Smith will enter his eighth season as a NCAA Division I coach and his first as a head coach. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in journalism/public relations and was a four-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes. Smith finished his career at Ohio State with 140 points, ranking 14th all-time. He was selected as team captain as a junior and chosen as the team's MVP as a senior, while leading the Buckeyes with 41 assists and 63 points.

After graduating from Ohio State, Smith spent six seasons in professional hockey, including five full seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the International Hockey League (IHL) and a brief period in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He was under contract with the New York Rangers in 1994-95. Smith has spent his summers coaching young players and adults as a director and head instructor at numerous camps across the United States and Canada.

"This is a very exciting moment for me as a coach and for my family," Smith said. "We look forward to becoming a part of the Canisius College community and the city of Buffalo. I am excited to continue the strong tradition of Golden Griffin hockey and the challenge of taking the program to the next level."

The Golden Griffins return 18 letterwinners from a 2004-05 squad, which went 16-15-4 overall and 14-7-3 in Atlantic Hockey action. Canisius finished in second place in the conference and won six of its last eight regular-season games.
The 36-year-old Smith and his wife, Susan, an academic coordinator and adjunct instructor of philosophy at Mercyhurst, have two daughters, Ellis and Kylie.

Smith's appointment follows a national search. A 10-member search committee, including four community and business leaders, was used to help facilitate the process. Smith takes over for interim coaches Clancy Seymour and Stephen Fabiilli, who took over the program after Brian Cavanaugh was relieved of his duties last December.

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