11th year left wing Jordan Smotherman(10) leaves Manchester Monarchs after signing with the team a month into 2016/2017.
It was the first time the former Atlanta Thrashers‘ 4th round pick in the 2005 draft (#116 overall) signed a contract in the league and there was little doubt he would score big at the lower level of hockey as he potted 12 goals and 8 assists in 18 ECHL games.
He’d only ever played 4 NHL games but as a sophomore skater got his only goal and assist in a pair of appearances before being returned to affiliate Chicago Wolves, where he would help them win the 2008 Calder Cup Championship.
The fairly big 6’3″ 225 lbs. forward (you’d never guess it) has been playing mostly in Sweden for the last four seasons with a quick half season stop in Finland and even had his first year away from closer to home, which is the hockey hotbed Corvalis, OR, in Denmark for Metal-Ligaen and won all sorts of scoring awards.
For the remainder of the current calendar the 30-year old returns to Allsvenskan joining MODO.
It would be a bit of a surprise to see him return again before he decides to retire those skates.