Jordan Smotherman

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| alt =

| image = Jordan Smotherman P-Bruins.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|5|11}}

| birth_place = Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 211

| position = Left wing

| shoots = Left

| prospect_league =

| prospect_team =

| played_for = Atlanta Thrashers
EfB Esbjerg
Lahti Pelicans
Rögle BK
Iserlohn Roosters
Belfast Giants

| draft = 116th overall

| draft_year = 2005

| draft_team = Atlanta Thrashers

| career_start = 2006

| career_end = 2022

}}

Jordan LaVallée Smotherman (born May 11, 1986) is a former professional American ice hockey winger and former head coach and General Manager of the Worcester Railers in the ECHL.{{cite web| url = https://www.echl.com/en/news/2022/6/railers-name-lavallee-smotherman-as-head-coach | title = Railers name Lavallee-Smotherman as head coach | publisher = ECHL | date = June 30, 2022 | accessdate = June 30, 2022}}

Playing career

Smotherman was born in Corvallis, Oregon and moved to Binghamton, New York at the age of 2 before his family settled in Westborough, Massachusetts at the age of 10. Upon joining the Quebec Remparts, he went by the name Jordan LaVallée in order to connect with the Quebec fanbase, as his mother Maureen was French Canadian. He was a member of the 2006 Memorial Cup champion Quebec Remparts, as one of six New England natives who played on the Remparts roster.

He was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 4th round, 116th overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.{{cite news| url = http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/08/25/nhl_dream_becomes_reality/ | title = NHL dream becomes reality | work = Boston Globe | date = 2005-08-25 | access-date = 2010-09-17| last1 = Forsberg | first1 = Chris }} His first National Hockey League goal was scored in his second game with the Thrashers in a 2-point effort against Craig Anderson of the Florida Panthers on April 1, 2008, in a 3-2 Thrashers loss.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/200804010ATL.html|title=Florida Panthers at Atlanta Thrashers Box Score — April 1, 2008|website=Hockey-Reference.com}}

File:Jordan Smotherman (40398798072).jpg]]

After spending the majority of his three-year tenure within the Thrashers organization with AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, at the start of the 2009–10 season on October 8, 2009, the Thrashers traded Smotherman to the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for future considerations. He was then assigned to AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch for the entirety of the year posting 10 goals and 32 points in 78 games with the Crunch.

Prior to the 2010–11 season, Smotherman was invited to the Boston Bruins training camp but was released on September 22, 2010, and was reassigned and later signed to the Providence Bruins.{{cite web| url = http://www.nesn.com/2010/09/local-kid-jordan-smotherman-joins-bruins-farm-system.html | title = Local kid Jordan Smotherman joins Bruins Farm System | publisher = NESN | date = 2010-09-17 | access-date = 2010-09-17}}

Smotherman joined GET-ligaen club EfB Esbjerg for the 2011–12 season.{{cite web| url=http://www.e-sporten.dk/jordan-smotherman-til-efb-ishockey-n2844.php | title=Smotherman joins EfB Ishockey (Danish) | access-date = 2011-10-09}}

For the 2012–13 season, Smotherman joined Tingsryd AIF in the Swedish second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan. While the team finished second to last in the series and was relegated to Swedish third-tier league Division 1, only one player in the entire league scored more than his 24 goals.{{cite web| url = http://stats.swehockey.se/Players/Statistics/GoalScoringLeaders/3005 | publisher = stats.swehockey.net | title = HockeyAllsvenskan leading scorers | date = 2013-04-01 | access-date = 2013-04-01 | language = Swedish}}

For the 2013–14 season he joined Karlskrona HK of the HockeyAllsvenskan{{cite web | url = http://khk.se/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2937:jordan-smotherman-klar-foer-khk-2013-05-23&catid=36:alaget&Itemid=71 | title = Jordan Smotherman sign for KHK | publisher = Karlskrona HK | date = 2013-05-23 | access-date = 2013-05-23 | language = Swedish | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130613093604/http://khk.se/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2937%3Ajordan-smotherman-klar-foer-khk-2013-05-23&catid=36%3Aalaget&Itemid=71 | archive-date = June 13, 2013 | df = mdy-all }} and transferred to fellow Rögle BK during the 2014–15 season.{{cite web | url = http://www.hockeyallsvenskan.se/nyheter/ckz4Z356f8/ | title = Smotherman opts for mutual transfer | publisher = HockeyAllsvenskan | date = 2015-01-10 | access-date = 2015-01-10 | language = Swedish | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180923165101/https://www.hockeyallsvenskan.se/nyheter/ckz4Z356f8 | archive-date = September 23, 2018 | url-status = dead }} After helping Rögle earn promotion from HockeyAllsvenskan to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the highest level professional competition in Sweden, he re-signed with the club and appeared in 52 SHL contests (14 goals, five assists) in 2015–16, helping Rögle to stay in the league.

On June 10, 2016, Smotherman moved to Germany, signing with the Iserlohn Roosters of the country's top-flight Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).{{Cite web|url = http://iserlohn-roosters.de/2016/06/10/jahresvertrag-fuer-jordan-smotherman/|title = Iserlohn Roosters secure free agent signings | publisher = Iserlohn Roosters | date = 2016-06-10 |access-date = 2016-06-25 | language = German}} In the pre-season with the Roosters, Smotherman and the Roosters opted to terminate his contract, for personal reasons.

Smotherman returned home to North America, and opted to resume his career in the ECHL with the Manchester Monarchs for the 2016–17 season. In contributing with 20 points in 18 games and experiencing a brief stint in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Smotherman returned to Sweden in agreeing to a contract with Modo Hockey of the second division Allsvenskan on January 17, 2017. Smotherman played out the season with Modo, collecting 8 goals in 14 games.

As a free agent, Smotherman returned to link up again with the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL on August 4, 2017.{{cite web | url = http://manchestermonarchs.com/news/monarchs-news/?article_id=1236 | title = Monarchs re-sign Jordan Smotherman | publisher = Manchester Monarchs | date = 2017-08-04 | access-date = 2017-08-04 | archive-date = September 14, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170914035346/http://manchestermonarchs.com/news/monarchs-news/?article_id=1236 | url-status = dead }} In the 2017–18 season, Smotherman led the Monarchs with 72 points in 69 games earning a place in the ECHL First All-Star Team.

On May 30, 2018, Smotherman signed for a second time with the Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL on a one-year deal.{{cite web| url = https://iserlohn-roosters.de/2018/05/30/starkes-doppelpack-fuer-die-iserlohn-roosters/ | title = Strong double signings for Roosters | publisher = Iserlohn Roosters | date = 2018-05-30 | access-date = 2018-05-30 | language = German}}

Smotherman signed for the Belfast Giants of the UK EIHL in February 2019, later going on to score the winning goal in the 2018-19 EIHL Challenge Cup final against the Guildford Flames.{{Cite web | url=https://www.belfastgiants.com/2019/03/10/giants-go-back-to-back-with-challenge-cup-final-victory/ |title = Giants Go Back-To-Back with Challenge Cup Final Victory|date = March 10, 2019}}

The winger re-signed with Belfast for the 2019–20 season, and took on the role of player-assistant coach to head coach Adam Keefe.{{Cite web | url=https://www.belfastgiants.com/2019/08/12/mason-smotherman-join-stewart-as-assistant-coaches/ |title = Mason & Smotherman Join Stewart as Assistant Coaches|date = August 12, 2019}} Smotherman announced his departure from Belfast in a social media post in July 2020.{{cite tweet|number=1280239312362242061|user=jsmoothie10|title=My time in Belfast opened the door for some amazing friendships and some of the best moments of my hockey career. … |date=July 6, 2020}}

On 8 July 2020, it was announced Smotherman would return to the ECHL for the 2020–21 season by signing a contract with the Worcester Railers.{{Cite web|url=https://railershc.com/worcester-railers-hc-sign-veteran-forward-jordan-smotherman-for-2020-21-season/|title=Worcester Railers HC sign veteran forward Jordan Smotherman for 2020-21 season|date=July 8, 2020}} However, Worcester did not take part in the 2020–21 ECHL season due to COVID-19.{{cite web| url = https://railershc.com/worcester-railers-announce-suspension-of-play-for-2020-21-season/ | title = Railers announces suspension of play for 2020-21 season | publisher = Worcester Railers | date = December 28, 2020 | access-date = December 28, 2020}}

In January 2021, Smotherman instead moved again to Denmark's Metal Ligaen to sign for Esbjerg Energy - his second spell with the team having played for them during the 2011–12 season.{{cite web| url = https://metalligaen.dk/nyheder/jordan-smotherman-klar-for-esbjerg-energy/ | title = Jordan Smotherman returns to Esbjerg | publisher = Esbjerg Energy | date = January 10, 2021 | access-date = January 10, 2021 | language = Danish}}

In July 2021, the Worcester Railers again announced they had agreed terms with Smotherman ahead of the 2021–22 ECHL season. In his final professional year, Smotherman was still able to contribute offensively, posting 30 goals and 52 points through 60 regular season games.

Coaching career

In June 2022, Smotherman moved behind the bench - becoming the Head Coach and General Manager of the ECHL's Worcester Railers.{{cite web|url = https://railershc.com/worcester-railers-hc-name-jordan-lavallee-smotherman-as-head-coach-and-general-manager/?fbclid=IwAR2PlXEyqKPJWNQQfc3N8a0h3PA56AFVAesD06T2ORUX-FSLTSW4n-QuKJo&fs=e&s=cl | title = Railers name Smotherman Head Coach and General Manager | publisher = Worcester Railers | date = June 29, 2022 | access-date = June 29, 2022}}