Steelheads’ Smith signs with Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenceman Konnor Smith to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 NHL season. Smith will join the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), for the remainder of the 2024-25 season on an Amateur Tryout (ATO).

Smith, 20 (11/6/04), combined for 10-16=26 points with a +14 rating and 34 penalty minutes (PIM) in 40 OHL contests with the Brampton Steelheads and Owen Sound Attack in 2024-25. He posted career highs in scoring, goals and assists, and led Brampton defencemen in goals and ranked fourth in plus/minus. He also scored 1-2=3 points with a +2 rating and 15 PIM in six OHL Playoff games with the Steelheads this season.

Originally selected by the Peterborough Petes in the ninth round (175th overall) of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection, the 6-foot-6, 216lb. blueliner recorded 26-44=70 points with 229 PIM in 219 career OHL games with Brampton, Owen Sound and Peterborough. Smith helped the Petes to an OHL Championship in 2022-23, collecting two assists (0-2=2) in 23 playoff contests. In five 2023 Memorial Cup tournament games, he earned one assist (0-1=1). He has also registered 2-6=8 points in 37 career OHL playoff contests.

Selected by Anaheim in the fourth round (97th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft, Smith appeared in six American Hockey League (AHL) games with the San Diego Gulls in 2023-24, recording his first professional goal in his AHL debut April 6, 2024 vs. Tucson. The Windsor, Ont. native was nominated for the Dan Synder Memorial Trophy, the OHL’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2021-22.

News: We have signed Konnor Smith to a three-year entry-level contract! #FlyTogether | @Opendoor https://t.co/BzoGZEU0NG

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 15, 2025