Will
Smith
United States
·
Ice Hockey
Date of birth | March 19, 2005 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Lexington, MA |
Age | 20 |
Nationality | United States |
Career start | 2024 |
Disciplines | Ice Hockey |
Will Smith is forging a career as an ice hockey pro for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League, who drafted the Lexington, Massachusetts, native fourth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, making him the highest draft pick in Boston College history.
During his one season at Boston College (2023-24), Smith led the Eagles to a national championship and was the NCAA points leader. Boston College runs deep in his family – Smith is the 14th member of his family to attend the school – and in his standout freshman season, he was named a CCM/AHCA First Team All-American, a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and earned spots on the Hockey East First Team All-Star and Rookie Team. He was also honored as the Hockey East Tournament MVP and selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Before his time at Boston College, Smith made his mark on the international stage, being named MVP of the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship, where he led Team USA to a gold medal with nine goals and 11 assists in seven games. His 127 points during the 2022-23 season ranked second all-time in the history of the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for a single season.
Born and raised in Lexington, where hockey is a way of life, Smith fell in love with the sport playing pond hockey as a child, eventually developing into one of the game's top prospects.