CALGARY -- Calgary Flames goaltender Mike Smith has redrawn the map of his comfort zone.
Before the 35-year-old from Kingston, Ontario, was traded to the Flames by the Arizona Coyotes for goalie Chad Johnson, defenseman prospect Brandon Hickey and a conditional third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on June 17, he had played 11 seasons for NHL teams based in the southern United States.
From 2006-08, Smith played 44 games for the Dallas Stars, who selected him in the fifth round (No. 161) of the 2001 NHL Draft. He then played four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and six seasons as the No. 1 goalie for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes.
Despite growing up in Canada, Smith, whose next game will be his 500th in the NHL, has seen a whole new side of being an NHL player in Calgary.
"It's tough to hide here," Smith said. "When I first got traded here, [general manager] Brad [Treliving] told me that every Canadian kid needs an opportunity to play in a Canadian market. I played for Dallas, Tampa [Bay] and Arizona and I think I was pretty comfortable but honestly, I've been blown away by the support for the team and how friendly people are and just the energy surrounding the organization."
Smith said being the No. 1 goaltender in a hockey-crazed market and playing for the Flames, who have not won the Stanley Cup since 1989, has not intimidated him in the least.
"At my age, no," he said. "Earlier in my career, there were a lot of things that bothered me. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on my game and on the mental side of it, which is the most important. So it doesn't really matter where you're playing, as far as being a goaltender. Your job is the same. And there's no point putting added pressure on yourself because sometimes it can get in the way of how you play. So I focus on what I can control."
Smith, 12-9-2 with a 2.71 goals-against average and .918 save percentage this season, has brought two important elements to Calgary.
His puck-handling abilities are exceptional, exhibited by the goal he scored during the Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Rally at the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game.
Smith also has given his teammates confidence in their goaltender, something that has wavered in Calgary since Miikka Kiprusoff played for the Flames from 2003-13.
"It starts with his work habits," Treliving said. "He's a real pro. He comes to the rink early. He's got a set routine. He's a diligent worker. No matter the position, players young and old can look at him and say, 'He's a professional how he prepares for games. He's a professional how he prepares for practice.' You can never have too many of those people that just do it right.
"And it's hard to quantify, but he gives you that air of a No. 1 goaltender. He's big, he moves the puck, and I've said it before, his high game when he's locked in, it's as good as anybody's. It gives everybody confidence when you see him dialed in as a big guy."
Former Flames and Carolina Hurricanes goaltending coach David Marcoux said Smith's compete and battle level are big positives, but there's something else.
"His size. He looks like a house," Marcoux said of Smith (6-foot-4, 215 pounds). "You can't teach size, and he's got it. He's blessed with it.
"The other element is the puck-handling. I'd guarantee [defensemen] Travis [Hamonic] and Mark [Giordano] and T.J. Brodie and Dougie Hamilton … they definitely take advantage of it. And [forward] Johnny [Gaudreau] doesn't have to come back as far, and if he posts up at the far blue line, [Smith] can hit him. A lot of offense is generated because of him."
Smith said he's smarter than he used to be when it comes to handling the puck. He said the Flames did not ask him to reduce the number of stretch passes he tries, only to direct traffic in the defensive zone.
"I understand that there's a point, a fine line, of playing the puck," he said. "I've been there in my career where you try to do too much with it, especially on teams that don't have as much success; you're trying to help the team out more with the puck-handling than maybe what your real job is, which is stopping the puck.
"I take a lot of pride in the puck-handling part of it, but I think as I've gotten older in my career, I've realized that sometimes simpler is better."
Treliving said he sees quantifiable upside that goes with Smith's skill with the puck.
"He'll give you a stroke every now and again when you watch it, but it's an asset," he said. "Do the math … the wear and tear on defensemen is reduced. If you take an 82-game schedule and they get hit two less times a game, that's wear and tear you're saving on guys. But there's also a time to do it and not to do it."
Calgary's trade for Smith was supported by some important history; Treliving was the Coyotes assistant general manager from 2003-14.
Age and injuries were the two biggest question marks regarding Smith; he had core muscle surgery in December 2015 and missed three months, limited to 32 games in 2015-16.
Smith is 207-207-62 in the NHL, but has played in less than 50 games seven times in his first 11 seasons.
"He's sort of got a low odometer," Treliving said. "He really didn't start playing a lot of games at this level until a little later on in his career. The other part is the physical. There are some genetics. Look at him, he's put together as good as any athlete, regardless of position, that I've ever had. He's in elite condition and keeps himself that way."
Smith has also become an instant leader for Calgary, Gaudreau said.
"Just the way he communicates with us on and off the ice, between periods in the locker room," Gaudreau said. "He's pretty passionate about winning games, and it's pretty contagious."
Giordano, the Flames captain, went down the checklist of all Smith has added; presence, confidence, saves and good passes.
"He's like a third defenseman," Giordano said. "He's an elite No. 1 goalie in the NHL for sure. His No. 1 ability is stopping the puck, and he's been our best player; it hasn't even been close in my opinion."
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