ryan smyth 640

‘Captain Canada’ calls it a career

Ryan Smyth announces retirement after 19 NHL seasons

Jason La Rose
|
April 11, 2014
|

Ryan Smyth, one of the most decorated Canadians in international hockey history, has announced his retirement after 19 NHL seasons and 13 Team Canada appearances.

Smyth played 90 games in a Team Canada jersey, from the 1995 IIHF World Junior Championship to the 2012 Spengler Cup, recording 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists).

“Few players are so closely connected to Team Canada than Ryan Smyth,” said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “We thank him for his years of service to Canadian hockey, and wish him the best in whatever comes next.”

Smyth retires with an impressive trophy case; he won gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship (1995), Olympic Winter Games (2002) and IIHF World Championship (2003, 2004), a silver at the 2005 IIHF World Championship, and added titles at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and 2012 Spengler Cup.

He is Canada’s all-time leader in games played at the world championship – 60 over his eight appearances (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010) – and his 31 points are sixth-best in Canadian history.

Smyth was part of the team that ended Canada’s 50-year Olympic gold medal drought at the 2002 Games, contributing one assist in six games, and made a second Olympic appearance four years later in Torino, Italy.

Always one of the first to sign up to represent his country, Smyth was the consummate leader; he earned the nickname ‘Captain Canada’ by wearing the ‘C’ at five consecutive world championships from 2001-05, again in 2010, and at his final international event, the 2012 Spengler Cup.

RYAN SMYTH

Year Team Event GP G A PTS PIM Result
1995 CAN World Juniors 7 2 5 7 4 Gold
1999 CAN World Championship 10 0 2 2 12 4th
2000 CAN World Championship 9 3 6 9 0 4th
2001 CAN World Championship 7 2 3 5 4 5th
2002 CAN Olympics 6 0 1 1 0 Gold
2002 CAN World Championship 7 4 0 4 2 6th
2003 CAN World Championship 9 2 2 4 2 Gold
2004 CAN World Championship 9 2 2 4 2 Gold
2004 CAN World Cup 6 3 1 4 0 1st
2005 CAN World Championship 9 2 1 3 6 Silver
2006 CAN Olympics 6 0 1 1 4 7th
2010 CAN World Championship 1 0 0 0 0 7th
2012 CAN Spengler Cup 4 3 0 3 4 1st
  CAN TOTAL 90 23 24 47 40

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

Recent News
Most Popular
Videos
Photos
HCC: One For All in Yellowknife
One For All celebrated women’s hockey with more than 300 participants.
2024 NWT Rivalry Series: CAN 6 – USA 1 (Game 7)
Spooner and Maltais scored twice to lead Canada to win the series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 3 – USA 0 (Game 6)
Maschmeyer made 27 saves for the shutout to tie the Rivalry Series.
2023-24 NWT: CAN 4 – USA 2 (Game 5)
Bell, Fast and Stacey scored late to help Canada stay alive.
Schedule