Devils’ former 1st-round pick leaving NHL to play in Russia’s KHL

Ty Smith is heading overseas.

The NHL career of Ty Smith started promisingly.

The New Jersey Devils picked him No. 17 overall in the 2018 draft.

His success in the WHL had him skip the AHL and come right to the Devils in 2020-21, and he had 23 points in 48 games as a defenseman.

The next season, though, Smith played 66 games and had just 20 points and a minus-26 rating.

New Jersey traded Smith to the Penguins, where he starred in the AHL but only got nine games in Pittsburgh.

Then it was a trade to Carolina, where Smith again played well in the AHL but only got eight games with the Hurricanes.

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Now, Smith is heading to the KHL. He has signed with Dinamo Minsk, which is based in Belarus but plays in Russia's league. Dinamo Minsk announced the move on Telegram.

Smith is 24 years old.

He may get a chance to come back some day and add to his 131 NHL games and 49 NHL points.

Right now, though, he's traveling abroad to try and make the most of his hockey career.

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Category: Hockey