Image

Maple Creek-native and former Bronco Captain Zack Smith is back in the southwest for the summer after finally getting his foot in the door with the Ottawa Senators late in the season.

 

Smith played a total of 21 regular season and playoff games with Ottawa on a call-up basis from Binghamton of the American Hockey League.

 

"I'm looking forward to taking a break; I'm just slowly getting back into workout mode now," commented Smith from Maple Creek.  "I want to relax, and soon enough, it'll be August and I'll be back in Ottawa looking to start it up again.  For now, I'll just enjoy the time off."

 

Zack played in all six Senators playoff games against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round.  "I get asked a lot, what it's like to play against Sidney Crosby, and is he as good as people say.  I think he deserves most of the respect he gets.  He works hard every night, he's a very competitive player, and he's one of the players that does live up to his hype."

 

Smith knows he made a high profile friend in the CBC's Don Cherry during the season.  Cherry featured him a couple times during "Coaches Corner" on Hockey Night in Canada.  "(laughs) He likes the style of play that I bring.  If you play that way, he's going to like you.  It definitely was flattering, the things he had to say."

 

Smith plans to play some senior baseball this summer in Maple Creek, and also spend some time at his new place in Beaver Flat.