You either loved watching him or you were hiding behind your couch with your hands over your eyes. There was no middle ground with Mike Smith. One minute he’s launching a 180-foot saucer pass to spring a breakaway, and the next, he’s caught in no-man's-land behind his net while the opposing forward tucks the puck into a yawning cage.
He was the ultimate high-wire act.
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When people talk about mike smith nhl goalie, the conversation usually shifts immediately to his puck-handling. It’s a polarizing topic. Some call him the best to ever do it; others say his aggressiveness cost his teams as much as it helped. But to focus only on the highlight-reel gaffes is to miss the point of a career that spanned nearly two decades and saw him finish just one win shy of 300. Honestly, the guy was a physical marvel who played some of his best hockey while pushing 40.
The Puck-Handling Paradox
Most goalies treat the puck like a live grenade. They want it away from them as fast as possible, usually by freezing it for a whistle. Mike Smith treated it like he was a third defenseman.
It wasn't just a gimmick.
Think about the 2011-12 Phoenix Coyotes. That team had no business making a run to the Western Conference Finals, yet they did, largely because Smith was essentially a quarterback in pads. He’d kill an opponent’s dump-and-chase game before it even started. Forcing teams to change their entire forecheck strategy just to account for a goalie is something very few players in history—maybe only Martin Brodeur—could claim.
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Of course, there was the "Butt Goal."
On December 21, 2013, against Buffalo, the puck got lodged in his pants, and he unknowingly backed into his own net. It was hilarious, tragic, and quintessentially Smith. But then you look at October 19 of that same year. With 0.1 seconds left against Detroit, he fired a shot the length of the ice and actually scored. He’s the 11th goalie in NHL history to do it. You take the brilliance with the chaos.
The Edmonton Years and the 40-Year-Old Wall
By the time Smith landed with the Edmonton Oilers in 2019, the narrative was that he was "washed." He was 37. Most goalies are looking for a nice retirement home in the suburbs by then. Instead, he became the backbone of a team that desperately needed a pulse in the crease.
His 2020-21 season was statistically absurd. He went 21-6-2 with a .923 save percentage. People kept waiting for the wheels to fall off, but the guy just kept stretching like a 20-year-old. He was a fitness freak. He practiced yoga religiously. He treated his body like a high-performance vehicle, and it paid off.
In the 2022 playoffs, at age 40, he led the league in shutouts (2) during the postseason.
- Round 1 vs. LA Kings: A 30-save shutout in Game 2 and a 29-save shutout in a do-or-die Game 7.
- The Battle of Alberta: He out-dueled Jacob Markström, who was a Vezina finalist that year.
- The End: It ended in a sweep against Colorado, but Smith was facing a barrage.
He finished his career on Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) after that run, basically because he had given everything he had left to that Edmonton jersey. His body finally said "no more" after years of playing a style that was physically taxing and mentally draining.
Why His Style Worked (And Why It Didn't)
Smith played a "reactive" game. Unlike modern "blocking" goalies who rely on positioning and size to let the puck hit them, Smith was an athlete. He’d make diving saves that looked like they belonged in the 1980s.
Critics pointed to his "blow-up" games. There were nights where he’d let in a soft goal from center ice—like the one against Calgary in the 2022 playoffs—and the internet would melt down. But the Oilers coaches stuck with him. Why? Because his teammates loved playing in front of him.
He was fiery.
If a teammate didn't clear the crease, Smith would let them know. If an opponent touched him, he’d probably start a fight. Remember the goalie fight with Cam Talbot in the 2020 Battle of Alberta? That wasn't just for show. It was a 37-year-old veteran telling his team he was willing to go to war for them. That kind of leadership doesn't show up in a save percentage, but it’s why he lasted 16 seasons in the toughest league in the world.
Career Numbers at a Glance
He finished with 299 wins.
That number is agonizingly close to the 300-win milestone.
670 games played.
44 shutouts.
A career .912 save percentage.
If you look at those numbers without the context of the highlights, you see a consistently above-average starter who gave his teams a chance to win for nearly two decades. He wasn't just a "puck-handler." He was a legitimate NHL workhorse who survived the transition from the "dead puck" era to the high-scoring modern game.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about mike smith nhl goalie is that he was a liability because of his aggression. In reality, his ability to move the puck probably saved his defensemen hundreds of hits over the course of a season. By breaking the puck out himself, he kept his blueliners from getting crunched into the boards on the forecheck.
He was a strategic advantage, not a gimmick.
Also, people forget how late he started. He didn't become a full-time, undisputed number-one starter until his late 20s in Phoenix. His longevity is actually more impressive when you realize how much mileage he put on his joints in his late 30s. Most goalies' stats crater after 35. Smith’s actually improved in some areas.
Actionable Insights for Hockey Fans
If you’re looking back at Smith’s career or trying to understand his impact on the game today, keep these things in mind:
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- Watch the "Quiet" Puck Handling: Don't just watch the goals or the giveaways. Watch how he stops a rimmed puck and sets it perfectly for his defenseman. It’s a lost art that modern goalies are struggling to replicate.
- Appreciate the Fitness: Smith’s career is a blueprint for older athletes. His commitment to mobility and flexibility over pure bulk allowed him to play a high-impact style into his 40s.
- The "Short Memory" Rule: Smith’s greatest strength was his ability to let a bad goal go. He’d give up a 150-foot clunker and then make ten Grade-A saves in a row. That mental toughness is what separates NHL starters from career backups.
Mike Smith officially moved into the "retired" phase of his life after his contract expired in 2023, but his influence is still felt. You see younger goalies like Pyotr Kochetkov trying to play that aggressive, puck-handling style. They’re all chasing the standard Smith set. He was loud, he was frustrated, he was brilliant, and he was never, ever boring.