Floyd Smith

Floyd Smith (born May 16, 1935 in Perth, Ontario) was a Canadian professional Centre who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres and who coached for 4 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs.

He played junior hockey for three seasons (1952-53 to 1954-55) with the Galt Black Hawks of the OHA and the Inkerman Rockets and Eastview-St Charles of the ODHA.

He turned pro as the property of the Boston Bruins in 1955 and was soon traded to the New York Rangers. However, most of his first seven pro seasons were spent in the minors.

Smith's big break came in 1962 when he was claimed by the Detroit Red Wings in the intra-league draft. He spent almost all of the next five seasons with the NHL team, with only limited time in the minors. He enjoyed his best season in 1965-66 with 21 goals and 28 assists. In the 1967-68 season, Smith was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the Frank Mahovlich - Norm Ullman deal,

He spent two seasons with Toronto before being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft.

Smith retired in his second season (1971-72) with Buffalo. He coached the Sabres for one game that season and then became coach of their farm team, the Cincinnati Swords of the American Hockey League. Smith would return to coach the Sabres to the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals and would continue on for two more seasons.

He went on to become coach and then general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.