Bob Smith (ice hockey) Bob Smith (ice hockey) Robert (Bob) Smith (born December 1, 1946) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. Smith was selected 11th overall in the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but did not make it to the NHL, playing five seasons in the minor leagues. Smith was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Smith was an 18-year-old playing in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 11th overall pick of the 1967 NHL Amateur draft. Although all 12 NHL teams were
Japan Ice Hockey League Japan Ice Hockey League The Japan Ice Hockey League (JIHL) (日本アイスホッケーリーグ) was an annual ice hockey league that began in 1966 and ended in 2004 when it was replaced by Asia League Ice Hockey. Only Japanese teams competed in the JIHL. Baseball and football have been the dominant Japanese sports for decades, but ice hockey in Japan started in the 1920s. Teams have been competing in the All Japan Championships since 1930, making the tournament one of the oldest sporting competitions in the country. Professional hockey arrived in 1966 with the Japan Ice Hockey League. Originally a five-team league, the