Cole Smith Bio
Cole Smith is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. Born October 28, 1995, in Brainerd, Minnesota, Cole Smith rose through junior and collegiate ranks into professional hockey, making his NHL debut in 2021 and establishing himself as a physical, defensively responsible forward with penalty-killing value.
Early Life and Background
Cole Smith was born in Brainerd, Minnesota, to Tom Smith and Kris Smith and grew up in a broadly athletic family. His parents competed collegiately, his sister Gabbie played hockey for Bemidji State University and another sister, Allyson, played collegiate soccer; an uncle skated professionally overseas. The family environment emphasized multi-sport participation and dedication to athletics.
At Brainerd High School from 2011 to 2014 Smith was a three-sport athlete, competing in ice hockey, football, and track. He finished his high school hockey career among the program’s top scorers and earned football honors including selection to Minnesota Vikings All-State High School Team, All-Section, and All-Conference recognition in 2013. Smith also had success in track, winning the triple jump at the 2014 Wayzata Invitational, evidence of his broad athleticism and explosiveness.
Path to Hockey
Following high school, Smith entered junior hockey via the United States Hockey League and the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. He was selected in the USHL Draft by the Sioux Falls Stampede and later played for the Steinbach Pistons in the MJHL, where he developed his scoring and attracted NCAA interest. His second season with the Pistons saw him lead the team in scoring, producing 26 goals and 61 points and earning playoff recognition.
Smith committed to the University of North Dakota and joined the North Dakota Fighting Hawks for the 2016–17 season. At North Dakota he progressed from limited minutes as a freshman to a reliable depth forward and assistant captain by his senior year, developing a reputation for work ethic, defensive play, and timely offensive contributions while majoring in kinesiology.
Cole Smith Career
Early Career (2016–2020)
Cole Smith’s collegiate career with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks ran from 2016 to 2020. After scoring his first collegiate goal in his college debut, he gradually earned a regular role and produced multi-point contributions in key games, including assisting on game-tying and game-winning goals in a conference quarterfinal. Smith finished his college tenure with career-high offensive totals as a senior and served as an assistant captain on a team that posted the top regular-season record in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Smith earned team recognition for his work ethic and determination, receiving the Cliff ‘‘Fido’’ Purpur Award and being named an American Hockey Coaches Association Division I All-American Scholar. His senior season culminated with career highs in goals and points, and he was a finalist for the NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year award before concluding his collegiate career amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHL and Minor-League Breakthrough (2020–2022)
After completing his collegiate career, Smith signed with the Nashville Predators organization in March 2020 and began his professional path in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades and then the AHL. He recorded early professional scoring with the Chicago Wolves and later with the Milwaukee Admirals, posting strong offensive totals and demonstrating physical, hard-working play. In the AHL he registered a 21-goal, 20-assist campaign for 41 points, finishing among his team’s top scorers and helping the Admirals reach the Calder Cup playoffs.
Across AHL assignments Smith earned multiple NHL recalls and used the experience to refine his game. His AHL production, coupled with a physical edge and defensive reliability, prompted Nashville to sign two-way contract extensions that preserved his status as a depth-forward option for the NHL roster while giving him a prominent role at the AHL level.
Nashville Predators Era (2020–Present)
Cole Smith made his NHL debut for the Nashville Predators on January 14, 2021, and became the first former Steinbach Pistons player to appear in an NHL game. He split time between the Predators and their AHL affiliates as he adjusted to the professional ranks. Smith recorded his first NHL point on October 7, 2022, and scored his first NHL goal on January 21, 2023, marking key milestones in his transition to the top level.
Smith established himself as a regular contributor in the 2022–23 season, appearing in NHL games and finishing that campaign with four goals and 13 assists for 17 points across 69 games. He earned a two-year contract extension signed in January 2023 that covers the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons, reflecting Nashville’s view of him as a dependable depth forward who can provide energy, hits, and penalty-killing minutes.
Driving Style and Strengths
Smith is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound left-shooting winger whose game blends size, physicality, and defensive awareness. Coaches and reports note his strong work ethic, willingness to engage along the boards and in the defensive zone, and ability to kill penalties. He provides a forechecking presence, delivers consistent hits, and contributes secondary offense while fulfilling a checking-line role.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Smith’s career include his collegiate record performances and leadership at the University of North Dakota, his first NHL game on January 14, 2021, his first NHL point on October 7, 2022, and his first NHL goal on January 21, 2023. In the AHL he delivered a 21-goal season that helped the Milwaukee Admirals reach the Calder Cup playoffs and earned him contract extensions with the Predators.
Cole Smith Career Wins
Cole Smith’s verified professional accomplishments span impactful junior scoring, steady collegiate contributions, and meaningful AHL production that translated into NHL opportunities. He has combined size and defensive discipline to earn roster spots at the sport’s top level and to register multiple season milestones in both the AHL and the NHL.
NHL Highlights
In the National Hockey League, Smith reached several personal firsts: his NHL debut in January 2021, his first NHL point in October 2022, and his first NHL goal in January 2023. Across the 2022–23 NHL season he recorded four goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 69 games, contributing as a bottom-six forward who offered penalty-killing work and physical play.
Other Wins & Perfromances
At the junior level with the Steinbach Pistons Smith led the team in scoring during his second season with 26 goals and 61 points, helping the club reach the Turnbull Cup playoffs. In the AHL he posted a 21-goal season with the Milwaukee Admirals and finished among the team’s scoring leaders while playing a role in their playoff qualification, demonstrating his ability to produce offensively while maintaining defensive responsibilities.
Cole Smith Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Cole Smith comes from an athletic family with deep ties to collegiate sports. His father Tom Smith played football at St. Cloud State University and his mother Kris Smith competed in track at Concordia College-Moorhead and was later inducted into that school’s athletics hall of fame. Multiple family members have been recognized locally for athletic achievement, and an uncle pursued professional hockey internationally.
Personal Life
Publicly available information identifies Cole Smith’s parents and siblings and notes the family’s collective athletic background. There are no verified public records in the provided inputs regarding a spouse or children, and Smith’s off-ice residence details are not included in the verified material.
2025 Season Performance
As of his current contract through 2025, Cole Smith enters the 2024–25 season under contract with the Nashville Predators and brings NHL experience, penalty-killing ability, and physical depth to the forward group. His two-way contract structure and history of AHL production provide organizational flexibility, allowing Nashville to deploy him in a bottom-six NHL role or as a top-six option in the AHL when necessary.
Smith’s outlook for 2025 centers on maintaining his defensive contributions, continuing to add secondary offense, and providing reliable energy and physical presence. Given his track record of steady improvement and team-first play, Smith projects as a depth forward who can influence games through penalty killing, forechecking, and matchup minutes against opposing depth lines.