A stay-at-home defenceman who was selected by the California Golden Seals in the 1975 NHL Draft, Smith followed the franchise when it relocated to Cleveland in 1976, and when it folded in 1978 and merged with the Minnesota North Stars, where his rights were protected by the North Stars in the 1978 Cleveland-Minnesota Dispersal Draft.
A stay-at-home defenseman drafted by the California Golden Seals, Smith followed the franchise when it moved to Cleveland in 1976 and then folded in 1978 and merged with the Minnesota North Stars. His rights were protected during this period through the 1978 Cleveland-Minnesota Dispersal Draft.