NEW YORK, August 2, 2022 – New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has agreed to terms with forward C.J. Smith on a one-year contract.
Smith, 27, played 60 games for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League in 2021-22, notching 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points. He set AHL career-highs in assists and tied for his career-high in points. Smith ranked third on the club in goals, assists, and points. In 16 playoff games, Smith added nine points (3G-6A) as the Wolves won the Calder Cup championship. In 2021-22, he played one NHL game with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 5-11, 184 pound forward has accumulated 85 goals and 115 assists for 200 points and a plus-17 rating in 244 career AHL games split between the Wolves and Rochester Americans. In 2017-18 with Rochester, Smith was named to the AHL All-Star Game in a season where he finished with 44 points (17G-27A) in 57 games.
A Des Moines, Iowa native, Smith has skated in 15 NHL games between the Hurricanes (2021-22) and Buffalo Sabres (2016-17 – 2020-21), recording three points (2G-1A). In 2018-19 with the Sabres, Smith scored two goals while playing in a career-high 11 games.
Prior to going pro, Smith spent three seasons at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, tallying 125 points (56G-69A) in 120 games.