Jefferson Hagen / MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Fun fact of the day: Soon to be teammates on the MacEwan University Griffins men's hockey team, Brett Smythe and Austin Yaremchuk were once traded for each other.
Smythe, who is the latest member of head coach Bram Stephen's 2017-18 recruiting class, was toiling away in Drayton Valley of the Alberta Junior Hockey League when he got the call that he'd been dealt to RBC Cup host Lloydminster in November 2015.
"It was a little different," Smythe explained. "Drayton was in a bit of a rebuild that year and to go to a team that had a chance at the RBC Cup was pretty cool. It was definitely a big boost for me."
While on a Bobcats team that lost in the RBC Cup final, Smythe played with Griffins forward Taylor Mulder. He's also good friends with fellow incoming MacEwan freshman Jake Kohlhauser.
"It's definitely nice to have some familiar faces," he said. "I played with (goalie) Marc-Olivier Daigle in Drayton Valley, too. So, I know a few of the guys and I'll probably get to know the other guys pretty soon. I've played against some of them."
An assistant captain with the Spruce Grove Saints, Smythe joins a growing group of former junior players on the Griffins who wore letters on their sweaters. There were five former captains or assistants in last season's recruiting class, a move that paid off handsomely for the Griffins, who knocked off NAIT in the ACAC final last March.
"I'm a big believer that at this level it helps to bring in those types of players," said Stephen. "I saw a huge upside for us as a program last year bringing in as many leaders as we've done and we're continuing with that this year.
"We're very happy to have him aboard."
Smythe, who grew up in St. Albert, spent parts of five seasons in the AJHL, splitting his career between Spruce Grove, Drayton Valley and Lloydminster. In the 2016-17 season, he recorded nearly a point a game for the young Saints, potting 23 goals and 47 points in 51 contests, adding another four points in 10 playoff games.
"It was a very young team – they were the youngest team in the AJHL," said Stephen. "There was a lot of maturity in his game that settled it down when I watched the games. I saw maybe a bit more aggressiveness in his game when he was younger – 18, 19 – than I did than last year, but I think he was fitting into his role well in Spruce Grove.
"He's very aware of space, which is something that's hard to teach players, even at this level. He's very opportunistic, a good playmaker, good finish, so there should be some offensive upside there. He's a guy I wouldn't hesitate to use in defensive roles as well."
Smythe is the second forward announced as part of Stephen's recruiting class, joining former NCAA player Sean MacTavish on the Griffins. Both bring a versatile skill-set that will fit in nicely on a squad that has some openings up front after two forwards – Blake Grainger and Shawn Proulx – graduated from the program.
"I've watched Brett play for a lot of years and I've always liked his game," said Stephen. "He's a smart player, a complementary forward that can score and play well at both ends of the ice. And he's got leadership ability."
That will be a boon to a team trying to get their name back on the ACAC trophy. Smythe is pumped to join a championship locker-room.
"It's really big. That's why you play hockey – to win championships," he said. "Coming to a team that's already won one and is trying to go for another, I think it's going to be a fun year."
