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Whitehorse native Dawson Smith was recently signed by the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Smith, an 18-year-old goalie, played for the Yukon Rivermen in 2017.

Smith also played for the Cariboo Cougars of the BC Elite Hockey League.

鈥淚t was good. I played three years there, one in minor, two in major, got to know everyone pretty well along the road and we were a pretty good team for most of the years so it was good. It was definitely a good experience as well.鈥�

Smith had the opportunity to play at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer. He finished 4th in the tournament with a sparkling .917 save percentage. Team Yukon, however, finished 13th.

鈥淲e were dead last,鈥� related Smith. 鈥淚t was good, though. It was really fun. A good time for sure.鈥�

Smith did his best to help the team. 鈥淚t was good. I tried to do what I could 鈥� for the team 鈥� it was good.鈥�

Smith found the competition to be pretty tough.

鈥淥h, yeah, it was insane! Probably the best hockey I鈥檝e played 鈥� it was so good. A really good experience. Nothing like that, for sure.鈥�

Smith took up stopping pucks for a living as a challenge.

鈥淚 guess you got to be a little crazy I think, it comes with the package. But there really wasn鈥檛 a defining story. I was playing forward and then one day I guess I tried goalie, and I think the first time I sucked, but I think that was the reason why 鈥� I just wanted to get better at it. It irked me that I wasn鈥檛 very good.鈥�

Smith explains how he ended up in La Ronge.

鈥淚 was playing in Prince George for a couple years and I was injured for most of that, which is pretty unfortunate, so I didn鈥檛 have much time to show what I could offer the team, so I went to the camp in Langley (B.C.) this summer. It was more like an ID camp, so the coaches just came and watched you play games and whatever against other kids, and the La Ronge coach saw me there, and asked me if I鈥檇 like to try out, so it鈥檚 good, and now I鈥檓 here.鈥�

La Ronge is approximately 250 kilometres north of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty small,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting how small it is, but it鈥檚 a nice town, like, everyone鈥檚 super-friendly and it definitely makes the shift a lot easier.鈥�

Smith had some idea of what he was getting into.

鈥淐oming from Whitehorse you鈥檙e kind of prepared for a little 鈥榰gly鈥� winters for sure. We鈥檝e had a couple of snows so far. Nothing we can鈥檛 handle, for sure.鈥�

Smith is enjoying playing at this level.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome, yeah. It鈥檚 really good, really good hockey, really good guys. Yeah, it鈥檚 amazing.鈥�

Smith is currently the backup goalie in La Ronge, and will have to wait his turn to be the starter.

鈥淭he goalie we have right now is really good 鈥� whatever happens, I still gotta get a game in, and start playing good, so 鈥� it could be a while.鈥�

The first year has been kind of a learning experience for Smith.

鈥淛ust kind of learning from everyone else and getting to watch the games too, which is good.鈥�

La Ronge has a goalie coach, Kyle Sephton, to help him along the way.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a really good guy 鈥� it鈥檚 been good. He does some one-on-one stuff, so it鈥檚 really helpful.鈥�

Smith lists a few strengths in his game.

鈥淚 like to play the puck 鈥� not so good sometimes 鈥� I鈥檇 like to say I鈥檓 a pretty happy guy on keeping the boys kind of motivated 鈥� just kinda quickish, I鈥檇 say, quick.鈥�

Like any young goalie, he has a few things he needs to work on.

鈥淚t鈥檇 be good if I could kind of control my movements a little better. I get out of place quite a bit, and that鈥檚 just because I try to move too much, I think. And obviously just keeping my confidence up 鈥� just trying to play my game and hopefully something pieces together.鈥�

Like almost all goalies these days, Smith plays the Butterfly style.

Smith has had quite a few people that were influences on his career.

鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely been a lot, that鈥檚 for sure. Obviously, I wouldn鈥檛 be here without my parents 鈥� a lot of coaching staff helped me along the way. There was a goalie coach in Prince George 鈥� Kris Joyce, I had him for a while. He was really good. He kind of shaped me to what I am today, I would say, as a goalie.

鈥淭he goalie I play with now, here (Xavier Cannon), also a really good guy, and he鈥檚 always willing to help me out and I really appreciate that.鈥�

Some people are surprised when Smith tells them he鈥檚 from the Yukon.

鈥淭here鈥檚 some shock involved,鈥� relates Smith. 鈥淎 lot of crazy igloo polar bear stories, a bunch of those. But that gets shut down pretty quick.

鈥淚鈥檒l take the Whitehorse, Yukon, wherever I go, and definitely have pride in that, because it鈥檚 cool being from a small little town up north. There鈥檚 not many of us, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�

As for his future goals, 鈥淚鈥檇 really like to play university hockey,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the goal for sure. Just trying to get some schooling paid for would be nice as well. Just kind of see where the road takes me. I don鈥檛 really have a definite plan, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�

What about playing in the NCAA?

鈥淚f it happens, it happens, I won鈥檛 say no to it, for sure 鈥� even Canadian university hockey would be awesome, too.鈥�

If the NHL or Team Canada came calling, Smith wouldn鈥檛 turn them down.

鈥淚 think if anybody was offered the chance they鈥檇 say yes, but, just trying to stay realistic with it and just gonna take what I鈥檝e got right now and see where that takes me.鈥�