Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Former Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman and 17th Overall Pick Signs Overseas
Former Penguins defenseman and 17th overall pick Ty Smith has decided to officially leave the NHL, as he is heading to the KHL and signed with Dinamo Minsk.
Canadian defenceman Ty Smith will sign with Dynamo Minsk, according to BelarusHockey.com insider Stepan Voronkov.
Ty Smith, a native of Lloydminster, Alberta, was drafted 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils at the 2018 NHL Draft.
Smith played with the Penguins during the 2022-23 NHL season
He has since played in 131 NHL games, scoring 49 points with the Devils (2020-22), Pittsburgh Penguins (2022-23), and most recently the Carolina Hurricanes (2024-25).
He has also suited up in over 140 AHL games, scoring an impressive 96 points (21 goals, 75 assists).
Smith began last season with the Hurricanes but spent most of the year with the AHL's Chicago Wolves.
He recorded 28 points (5 goals, 23 assists) in just 36 games there. Smith, a good skater with good hockey sense and a good first pass, should be a valuable addition to Dynamo Minsk's defense.
Smith is also a gold medal champion with Team Canada
Internationally, Smith won gold with Team Canada at the 2018 U18 World Championship and silver at the 2020 World Juniors.
Throughout his WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs, he was a First All-Star Team member of the league in 2019 and 2020 while serving as team captain. He also made it to the NHL All-Rookie Team for the 2020-21 season.
Of note, Smith played alongside Belarusian forward Yegor Sharangovich in New Jersey in 2021-22.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 15 | 52 ANSWERS Former Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman and 17th Overall Pick Signs Overseas Will Ty Smith have success in the KHL? | ||
| Yes | 29 | 55.8 % |
| No | 23 | 44.2 % |
| List of polls | ||