Getting to Know Belfast’s Jordan Smotherman

Last week, the Belfast Giants announced the return of forward Jordan Smotherman to the team for the coming 2019-20 season. He contributed to some major events, including the winning of two cups for the Giants during his short two months with the team last season.

Though born in Oregon, the 33-year-old Smotherman grew up in Massachusetts before he headed north to Canada to begin his career as a hockey player by playing in the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts.  But when did he decide he really wanted to be a professional hockey player?

“It’s actually really a funny question. One of my summer projects here has been to take all of our old family video tapes and digitize them onto the computer so that the rest of the family, we can all have copies of them. I think it was during one of my birthdays I was asked what I want to do when I grow up, and I was probably six and my answer was ‘Well I want to be a professional hockey player,’” Smotherman shared with laughter. “The idea started then, but I want to say that the actual idea of going and making a career out of this probably started probably when I was 15 and I had some NHL scouts that were starting to watch me play.”

Throughout his career, the journeyman has played for quite a few teams and leagues, some of those teams achieved trophies while others showed what they were made of. In talking with Smotherman, it was clear the determination that he has had over the years and the commitment he continues to display have attributed to his success.

“I think at least for myself personally, anytime that I start a season, it’s with the expectations to finish at the top of the ladder. And I think as athletes in general, you know, that’s … the ultimate prize, that’s the ultimate reward for a season and an off season of hard work,” he said. “The way we ended last season, raising a couple of trophies, kind of leaves me wanting and expecting to push for the same thing next year. So, for me [I] just [want] another successful season in Belfast and continuing to grow the excitement for hockey in Northern Ireland.”

Even if those who claim to be experts at the sport suggest otherwise, Smotherman is not one to be side tracked on his goal by what may be said of his team in the press.

“There was one year in Sweden that I tend to reflect back on quite a bit, with Karlskrona, in the Allsvenskan in Sweden, where we had an amazing group of guys. They picked us to finish dead last at the beginning of the season. That’s what all the experts said. And we started off the season by winning 12 games in a row. We made it to the playoffs for the first time in that franchise’s history,”

Smotherman will be entering his 13th season as a professional, though there was a point when he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue playing. When you consider the grind on a player’s body throughout the season and the strict regimen of nutrition and training that he must stick to even during the offseason, there needs to be much more than just a paycheck for a player to keep going back.

“At this point it is just the love of the game and the enjoyment in what I do. I went through a little bit of a period where I wasn’t enjoying the game as much and I thought about retiring for a coaching job. Luckily, I didn’t because my experience with Belfast last year and everything that that city has to offer and their fan base has to offer, I really … completely reinvigorated my love for playing and my passion for the game,” he said.

Coach Adam Keefe, when asked about Smotherman being re-signed, mentioned that the 6’3” winger would bring “a work ethic to our 2019-20 team.”

“It certainly means a lot. I pride myself in the effort that I put in, night in and night out, whether it’s a night where I’ve got good legs and I’m flying out there or it’s a night where I don’t feel so well, the one thing that I personally always like to tell myself that I can count on is that no matter how the game’s going for me or the team, I can always work hard to make up for whatever insufficiencies there are that night,” Smotherman responded when told of Coach Keefe’s comment.

Though he joined the Belfast Giants just this previous year, he’s been on the Giants’ radar for a while as both Keefe and Steve Thornton, Head of Hockey Operations, had reached out in prior seasons. Likewise, Smotherman saw Belfast on his horizon at some point as well.

“I always knew that towards the end of my career, really in the last four to five years, two or three years, whatever it would be that it would be something that I would definitely want to consider doing. I had so many friends that had played with the organization that loved it so much that when they originally reached out it wasn’t quite the time for me, but it was always in the back of my mind as a potential option because of all of the wonderful things I had heard about it.”

In addition to being a hard working teammate, he showed the organization and the fans of Belfast the kind of great person he is as well when he altered plans to join the team sooner after the Giants lost a man to injury.

“My entire life I’ve always kind of been the one to try and help out in any way I can and in any situation that I can. And so certainly coming over early and getting on that flight and playing the same day is a good example of what I like to do and what I like to bring to a team. And I just hope that I can continue to do that from now on.”

While I have been familiar with the Belfast Giants for many years, I know that there are many here in the United States who didn’t even know they played hockey in Northern Ireland. So, I asked him what he thought would be something surprising to hockey fans here about the team.

“I think, one thing, that a lot of teams here have their passionate fans and their passionate following, and I’ve said this before, that one thing that people [in the U.S.] might not understand is how much more this team means to a lot of people than your average sports team. And I think that’s something that people probably don’t know over here. That there’s a whole different level of dedication and passion from that fan base there in Belfast and the people that follow that team closely.”

I would definitely have to agree with his conclusion, having seen the fans in person. Belfast is a great place to be a hockey player and a fan of hockey. And I know for a fact that the Belfast Giants fans are thrilled to see Jordan Smotherman donning the teal again for the coming season.