Americans blueliner Smith bringing ‘A’ game to 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada

Kennewick, Wash.- In one word, how would Jackson Smith describe his game?

Resilient.

It’s an easy answer, according to the towering Tri-City Americans defenceman.

“You know you’re never out of a game and just keep pushing,” Smith explained. “I feel like I’m really good at having a short memory and kind of forgetting about things and just being resilient to whatever’s going on, just playing how I play, no matter the score, no matter anything and keeping my confidence up.”

Of course, it’s also easy to talk about resilience when you’ve helped power your team to a nine-game win streak and the second-best win percentage in the league.

But Smith knows about dealing with adversity.

He’s coming off a rookie season that saw just about everything possible go wrong for Tri-City as the team missed the playoffs.

After dusting himself off and winning gold with Team Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Smith and the Ams have come out of the gates swinging with some tenacious play in critical situations.

Their 10-3-1 record is good for fourth in the Western Conference, and nine of their games have been decided by a single goal.

Smith has one goal and 13 assists (three of which have come on the powerplay) for 14 points in 14 games so far, leading the team in helpers and tying for third in points and plus/minus.

His lone goal stood as the overtime winner against the Kamloops Blazers on October 12.

“He’s found a good balance of using his offensive ability and picking his spots on when to go and when to create offense,” Americans Head Coach Stu Barnes- who played with Smith’s father, Wade, in Tri-City in 1989-90- said. “But he’s also improved his defensive game as well. I think he’s more comfortable in the D-zone. He’s a big guy that has a big reach and so he’s very comfortable defending. He’s smart with his stick and a very, very good player.”

Barnes has seen plenty of evolution in Smith’s game since the Ams drafted him with the second-overall pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, but what has stayed the same is his confidence.

“He played a few games for us at the end of the year before he was here with us full time and actually ended up in the power play one night,” Barnes recalled. “I remember he made a great play on the half wall. For a young guy to be playing in a game against older players, (he) showed a lot of poise, held on to pucks, made a great pass in the middle of the ice for a deflection. You could see that there was a pretty smart player there and a pretty patient player, so it was exciting to see.”

Now clocking in at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Smith has been tagged as an ‘A’ prospect, or potential first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by NHL Central Scouting in the agency’s preliminary list.

Part of that comes from his strong play with Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where the Calgarian added three assists while taking on a largely shutdown defensive role.

Nearly a dozen NHL teams have already approached him since the tournament.

“I feel like that’s where teams really start looking at you,” Smith said. “It was such a cool experience winning gold for Team Canada. Nothing beats that… There, I was playing more of a defensive role. I felt I showed that very well, and coming into the season it gave me a lot of confidence, knowing that I can play both ends of the ice really well.”

And the prospect of taking on the United States again at the upcoming CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada?

“That’s awesome,” Smith grinned. “I love playing the USA anytime I can, so I’m excited to play them. I think we’ve got a really good group. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but that’s going be really fun to play in.”

The new event runs on November 26 in London, Ont., before moving to nearby Oshawa on November 27.

Ten top NHL Draft-eligible WHL players will represent the CHL in the inaugural showdown.