The Victoria Royals blueline will look a little different next season without longtime defender Matthew Smith. Smith has been a constant, playing the last four years for the Royals, his whole career in the Western Hockey League. After serving as one of the team’s three overage players in this year’s reduced hub season, the veteran has now graduated. While preparing for new challenges, Smith reflects on his time in the league and the memories he will keep.
Unique Final Season
Smith’s final year with the Royals was unique, a two-month bubble away from family due to the pandemic.
“It was hard not seeing them for two months straight. Usually, my family comes to Victoria and to watch some games.” The Saskatoon, SK product took it in stride. “But it was also my fourth year in the league. I was used to not seeing them consistently. It is harder for the younger guys being away from home for the first time.”
“We were fortunate to even have some kind of season,” said Smith. “The fact that our team had no positive cases, and we were able to play the entire time. From the hotel to Kelowna itself and the Rockets hosting us, to my great teammates and coaches, it was a memorable experience.”
Starting in Saskatoon
In Saskatoon, Smith grew up around the WHL.
The league holds a family connection for him, his father Wes Smith was a WHL linesman for 12 seasons.
“I went to [Saskatoon] Blades games all the time with my dad,” said Smith. “He was high into officiating, and therefore always had a path to get us in for free. We used to go every weekend and that was a big part of my childhood.”
In playing in a different conference than the Blades, Smith only played a couple of times in Saskatoon while with the Royals. But the infrequent visits home made the visits more special when they happened.
“We only came back and played twice in Saskatoon,” said Smith. “It was huge for me. A lot of friends and family came out. Some really good friends spray-painted their bodies with “Smitty” on their chest, just the whole nine yards. It was a great experience and some memories for sure.”
Making the Trip to Victoria
After playing all of his minor hockey in Saskatoon, Smith’s hockey pursuit would move him far from home.
Drafted by the Royals in the seventh round in the 2015 WHL bantam draft, Smith made the move to Vancouver Island to join Victoria for the 2017-18 season. Luckily, he had some familiarity with the area.
“I have an auntie that lives in Comox, B.C. and my family had taken a road trip out there before,” said Smith. “It was a couple of years before my first training camp with the Royals, so I kind of forgot what the BC Ferries and travelling to the Island was like.”
“My first year, moving away from home was tough, “ said Smith. “It helped to have great teammates and that everyone was so welcoming. And my billets were great, I still talk with them a lot. I was with them since I was 17-years-old and I can’t say enough about them. It was tough but having those people in my life made it doable.”
Learning from the Veterans
Smith joined the Royals for the 2017-18 season as a fresh 17-year-old. The rookie was mixed into a veteran defensive group, and their experience helped him adjust to the league.
“When I was younger, we had a very deep D-corps,” recalled Smith. “Guys like Chaz Reddekopp, Kade Jensen, Scott Wolford, Jared Freadrich brought me into the league, and they were very welcoming. Ralph Jarratt was another guy that was a big part of my development as well. I felt like I came in blind honestly in my first year like they were just so helpful.”
Smith in his first season played 65 games and proved he could be counted on for solid minutes. It is that same durability that he showed throughout his junior career, something he attributes to learning from the team veterans.
“One of the things they taught me was just taking care of your body,” he said. “Guys like Griffen Outhouse and Matt Phillips. They took care of their bodies before and after games and practice. Seeing that was a huge part of learning to take care of myself. If you don’t take care of your body, you’re just going to break down.”
Favourite Memories
When asked about his favourite memories from his time in Victoria, Smith didn’t hesitate.
“The first-round series during my first season in 2018 when we beat Vancouver,” recalled Smith. “I remember Matthew Phillips just being the heartbeat of the team, taking a puck off the head while blocking a shot in the dying seconds of game seven. And then the celebration on the ice after we won. That’s something I’ll take away for the rest of my life.”
Like many graduating players, Smith will cherish the time spent with teammates off the ice. “I’ll also remember all the little things – hanging out with the boys after practice, going on hikes to the trestle bridge or even just going for lunch after practice. Lots of laughs were had there.”
“On the road, we had a sleeper bus,” said Smith. “We had video games in the back, to go with watching movies and playing cards. Lots of bus fights with the boys. All those things shared with great teammates made it memorable.”
No Regrets as a Royal
Matthew Smith played his whole WHL career for one team. While that is not unique, it is rarer as players often find themselves traded. When asked if he ever thought what it would be like to play for another team and seeing if the grass was greener on the other side, Smith offered no regrets.
“It’s weird because a lot of my teammates have been through the trade process,” he said. “And to hear about it, it’s almost another language to me. I just don’t know what that would be like going from being tight with one group in Victoria, to switching over to what could be as far away as a team in Manitoba.”
“No, I don’t wish I played anywhere else than Victoria, added Smith. “I’ve enjoyed everything about being here. The organization itself is first class. I’m not sure if every organization is like that, but it’s an environment that I’m happy I was a part of for the last four years.”
“I loved it and I can see myself moving back to Victoria when I’m older.”
The Future
Smith has enjoyed his time on the west coast, so much so that he plans to come back this fall to the University of British Columbia.
Taking advantage of the WHL Scholarship program, Smith will continue school and play for the UBC Thunderbirds in the fall. In the future, he hopes he can give back the junior hockey team that has been home to him.
“As an alumnus, I hope to be an asset for moving forward,” said Smith. “I just can’t say enough about everyone that I’ve worked with, and how much it’s meant to me over the last four years.”
For Matthew Smith, there is nothing truer than the saying ‘Once a Royal, always a Royal.’
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