Don Smith was a solid two-way forward, who was a steady contributor for the

Golden Knights through four seasons from 1997-2001. A 6-2, 205-pound center, Smith played in 133 games for head coach Mark Morris’ teams, finishing his Clarkson career with 73 points on 32 goals and 41 assists. Smith helped to lead the Green and Gold to 86 wins, a pair of conference regular season titles, an ECAC Tournament Championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior in 2000-01, Smith served as a co-captain as the Knights posted a 21-11-3 overall record and claimed the ECAC regular season title with a 15-5-2 league mark. The Niagara Falls, NY native was an unsung hero, who led by example, and was well respected by his peers and coaches because of his commitment to the program. Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the seventh round of the 1998 NHL Draft (184th overall), Smith was the recipient of Clarkson’s Richmond Unsung Hero, Paul J. Pilon and Fran Neragin Awards.

Q&A
  Name: Don Smith

Nickname(s) while a Golden Knight:  Smitty
 
Years Played/Position: 1997-2001 - Forward 

Clarkson Major: Business Management '01, MBA '05
 
Why did you decide to choose Clarkson:
The exceptional hockey tradition combined with great academic programs.  My father graduated from Clarkson in 1957, and thanks to him I grew up watching Clarkson Hockey, and always wanted to be a part of the program.

Favorite Clarkson Hockey moment(s):
Beating SLU in the ECAC Championship game at Lake Placid in 1999.

Most Memorable Clarkson teammate(s):

Fellow classmates (Class ’01). 

 
Favorite Team to gain a victory over, why:
SLU because of the rivalry, but winning at Cornell was always a great feeling as well.

 
Favorite Arenas to Play in:
Cheel, Lynah Arena, and the ECAC Championships at the 1980 Rink in Lake Placid.

Favorite Class/Professor(s):
Fred Menz, and Jan Wojcik

Favorite memories of Potsdam, North Country:
Met so many great people during my time at Clarkson.  The way that the community embraces and supports the University and hockey program make it a very memorable place to be a student-athlete.  The best memories are certainly the ones shared with so many great teammates. 

Where did you live when attending Clarkson:
Dorms freshman year, Woodstock, and Townhouses (A40) senior year.

What did you do after Clarkson:
Played three years of professional hockey before returning to Clarkson for my MBA. 
  
What are you doing now:
Currently work in private equity real estate for BlackRock in New York City.

 
Family:
My wife Laura.

Current Hometown:

New York City

 

Hobbies:

Fly-fishing, travel, and getting together with former Clarkson teammates.

Any other interesting things about you, or your family you would like to add: 

Following a few years of professional hockey I returned to Clarkson in 2005 to complete my MBA.  Since then, I’ve been in the investment real estate industry and have worked in Boston, Toronto, Tokyo, and New York City. My wife, Laura, and I were married this past summer.