Chiefs’ Ty Smith wins Superstore Defenceman of the Year Award
Spokane Chiefs defenceman Ty Smith claims the Superstore Defenceman of the Year Award after finishing second in Chiefs team scoring and fourth among all WHL blue-liners as he tallied seven goals and 62 assists for 69 points in only 57 appearances.
The New Jersey Devils prospect then added another nine points in 15 playoff contests to help the Chiefs advance to the WHL Western Conference Final.
Smith has spent the past three seasons with Spokane, accumulating 26 goals and 150 assists for 176 points in 194 career appearances. He was originally chosen first overall by the Chiefs in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft.
The 19-year-old native of Lloydminster, Sask., is the first WHL rearguard to capture the award since Ivan Provorov (Brandon Wheat Kings) in 2016. Finalists this year included Evan Bouchard of the London Knights as well as Charle-Edouard D’Astous of the Rimouski Oceanic.