Dhane Smith
Smith, on the right, celebrating the 2023 NLL championship with teammates Steve Priolo (left) and Nick Weiss (center)
Born (1992-01-22) January 22, 1992
Kitchener, Ontario
NationalityCanadian
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight195 pounds (88 kg)
ShootsRight
PositionForward/Transition (Box), Midfield (Field)
NLL draft5th overall, 2012
Buffalo Bandits
NLL teamBuffalo Bandits
MLL teamsRochester Rattlers
Chesapeake Bayhawks
PLL teamChaos LC
CLA teamsKitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks
Victoria Shamrocks
Pro career2013–
Career highlights

NLL:

  • 2x MVP (2016, 2022)
  • NLL Cup Champion (2023)
  • 2023 NLL Cup MVP
  • 3x First Team All-Pro (2016, 2022, 2023)
  • Regular season record for goals (72, 2016)
  • Regular season record for assists (96, 2023)
  • Regular season record for points (137, 2016)

PLL:

  • 1x Champion (2021)
  • 2x All-Star (2021, 2023)
Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's field lacrosse
World Lacrosse Championship
Runner-up2023 San Diego
Men's box lacrosse
World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
Winner2015 Onondaga Nation
Winner2019 Langley
Men's lacrosse sixes
World Games
Winner2022 Birmingham

Dhane Smith (born January 22, 1992) is a Canadian professional lacrosse player for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League and Chaos Lacrosse Club in the Premier Lacrosse League. He also plays for the Canadian men's indoor lacrosse team and the Canada men's lacrosse team.

In the NLL, he has won the MVP award twice and has won a championship with the Bandits in 2023, while concurrently winning the championship game MVP award. In the PLL, he won a championship with the Chaos in 2021, and was named an All-Star in 2021 and 2023. He also won a gold medal at the 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships for Canada.

He is known for his offensive effectiveness and astute passing skills, and holds the current NLL single-season points record, while also simultaneously holding both the current single-season goals record and the current NLL single-season assists record holder.[1][2]

Early life

Smith grew up in the heart of Kitchener. A lacrosse player from birth, he later in life transitioned into hockey and football, where he reached elite levels in both. Known by many as a multi-sport athlete, Smith led his high school football team to a championship final while running the offence as a gunslinging mobile quarterback.

Smith is a cousin of former NLL Defensive Player of the Year Billy Dee Smith.

Professional career

Smith began his career in 2009 with the Kitchener-Waterloo Braves of the Ontario Junior A Lacrosse League, where he won the Green Gael Trophy as the league's MVP in 2012. Smith also played for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks of Major Series Lacrosse, and the Victoria Shamrocks of the Western Lacrosse Association.[3]

NLL

Heading into the 2023 NLL season, Inside Lacrosse ranked Smith the #1 best forward in the NLL.[4]

Smith declined several offers from NCAA universities and instead declared for the 2012 NLL draft.[5] Smith was drafted fifth overall by the Bandits in the 2012 NLL Entry Draft. He began his NLL career as a transition player, but eventually switched to forward. He ranked third on the Bandits in scoring in both 2013 and 2014. In 2016, he set a Bandits record for most goals in a season and set the NLL single-season record for most points in a season. At the end of the season, Smith was named NLL MVP, becoming the first Black player to win the award.[6]

Smith won his second MVP award during the 2022 season, where he set the single season record for assists with 94, making him the fifth player ever to become a multi-time MVP.[7] The following season, he broke his assist record, finishing with 96, and was runner-up to Christian Del Bianco for MVP, while being named first team All-NLL for the third time.[8]

MLL

Smith joined the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse ahead of the 2016 season despite having little experience in field lacrosse, where he played under coach Tim Soudan.[5]

PLL

Smith played for Chaos in the inaugural season of the Premier Lacrosse League, recording four points in five regular season games, and an additional four points in two playoff games.[9] Smith became a focal point in the Chaos offense during the 2020 season, and in 2021, he finished second among all midfielders in assists with 13 before leading the playoffs with 18 points, en route to Chaos' first championship.[10]

International career

Smith has represented Canada at the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship twice, winning gold medals in 2015 and 2019.[11][12] He will represent Canada in field lacrosse at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship.[13]

Personal life

Away from lacrosse, Smith hosts a podcast, The Dhane and Josh Show, with Bandits and Chaos teammate Josh Byrne.[14] Both Smith and Byrne, who are Black Canadians, have supported the Black Lives Matter movement.[15]

Career Stats

NLL:[16]

Dhane Smith Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team GP G A Pts LB PIM Pts/GP LB/GP PIM/GP GP G A Pts LB PIM Pts/GP LB/GP PIM/GP

2013 Buffalo Bandits 15 24 20 44 42 4 2.93 2.80 0.27 –––––––––
2014 Buffalo Bandits 18 20 39 59 79 9 3.28 4.39 0.50 4 7 7 14 12 0 3.50 3.00 0.00
2015 Buffalo Bandits 18 39 68 107 75 11 5.94 4.17 0.61 1 3 5 8 6 0 8.00 6.00 0.00
2016 Buffalo Bandits 18 72 65 137 111 9 7.61 6.17 0.50 4 13 14 27 14 2 6.75 3.50 0.50
2017 Buffalo Bandits 14 30 51 81 63 8 5.79 4.50 0.57 –––––––––
2018 Buffalo Bandits 18 37 68 105 95 0 5.83 5.28 0.00 –––––––––
2019 Buffalo Bandits 16 32 70 102 72 8 6.38 4.50 0.50 4 5 16 21 14 0 5.25 3.50 0.00
2020 Buffalo Bandits 8 15 33 48 48 4 6.00 6.00 0.50 –––––––––
2022 Buffalo Bandits 18 41 94 135 93 10 7.50 5.17 0.56 6 13 22 35 27 4 5.83 4.50 0.67
2023 Buffalo Bandits 18 36 96 132 99 6 7.33 5.50 0.33 6 15 34 49 23 2 8.17 3.83 0.33
161 346 604 950 777 69 5.90 4.83 0.43 25 56 98 154 96 8 6.16 3.84 0.32
Career Total: 186 402 702 1,104 873 77 5.94 4.69 0.41

GP–Games played; G–Goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; LB–Loose balls; PIM–Penalty minutes; Pts/GP–Points per games played; LB/GP–Loose balls per games played; PIM/GP–Penalty minutes per games played.

PLL:[17]

Dhane Smith Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team GP G 2PG A Pts Sh GB Pen PIM FOW FOA GP G 2PG A Pts Sh GB Pen PIM FOW FOA
2019 Chaos 5 2 0 2 4 8 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 0
2020 Chaos 7 6 0 4 10 19 8 0 0 0 0 –––––––––––
2021 Chaos 9 7 0 13 20 22 10 2 1.5 0 0 3 8 1 9 18 13 3 0 0 0 0
2022 Chaos 7 6 0 17 23 29 4 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 3 5 12 3 1 0.5 0 0
2023 Chaos 8 5 0 25 30 24 4 2 1.5 0 0 1 1 0 3 4 4 1 0 0 0 0
36 26 0 61 87 102 26 4 3 0 0 9 14 1 16 31 33 7 1 0.5 0 0
Career Total: 45 40 1 77 118 135 33 5 3.5 0 0

GP–Games played; G–Goals; 2PG–2-point goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; Sh–Shots; GB–Ground balls; Pen–Penalties; PIM–Penalty minutes; FOW–Faceoffs won; FOA–Faceoffs attempted

Dhane Smith Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team GP G 2PG A Pts Sh GB Pen PIM FOW FOA GP G 2PG A Pts Sh GB Pen PIM FOW FOA
2016 Rochester Rattlers 3 8 0 2 10 19 3 0 0 0 0 –––––––––––
2017 Rochester Rattlers 4 3 0 9 12 13 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 13 0 0 0 0 0
2018 Chesapeake Bayhawks 2 1 0 1 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 –––––––––––
9 12 0 12 24 36 8 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 13 0 0 0 0 0
Career Total: 10 12 0 13 25 49 8 0 0 0 0

GP–Games played; G–Goals; 2PG–2-point goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; Sh–Shots; GB–Ground balls; Pen–Penalties; PIM–Penalty minutes; FOW–Faceoffs won; FOA–Faceoffs attempted

International:[18]

Dhane Smith Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team GP G A Pts LB PIM Pts/GP LB/GP PIM/GP GP G A Pts LB PIM Pts/GP LB/GP PIM/GP

2019 Canada 4 10 12 22 0 0 5.50 0.00 0.00 2 4 6 10 0 2 5.00 0.00 1.00
4 10 12 22 0 0 5.50 0.00 0.00 2 4 6 10 0 2 5.00 0.00 1.00
Career Total: 6 14 18 32 0 2 5.33 0.00 0.33

GP–Games played; G–Goals; A–Assists; Pts–Points; LB–Loose balls; PIM–Penalty minutes; Pts/GP–Points per games played; LB/GP–Loose balls per games played; PIM/GP–Penalty minutes per games played.

Awards and achievements

  • 2013 NLL All Rookie Team
  • 2016 NLL MVP
  • 2016 NLL All-League First Team
  • Holds Buffalo Bandits and NLL single season records for goals (72, 2016), assists (96, 2023),[16] and points (137, 2016).
  • 2021 PLL Second Team All-Pro[19]
  • 2021 PLL Champion
  • 2022 NLL MVP
  • 2022 NLL All-League First Team
  • 2023 NLL Cup Champion
  • 2023 NLL Cup MVP
  • 2023 NLL All-League First Team

References

  1. ↑ All-Time Stat Leaders - NLL %. (2021, September 24). NLL. https://www.nll.com/stats/all-time-stat-leaders/
  2. ↑ Tutka, P. (2022, April 11). Smith new single season assists record holder after hopping Matthews — The Lax Mag. The Lax Mag. https://www.thelaxmag.com/home/smith-new-single-season-assists-record-holder-after-hopping-matthews
  3. ↑ "Victoria Shamrocks acquire Dhane Smith via transfer". Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  4. ↑ "NLL Top 50 Players: Top 30 Forwards". Inside Lacrosse. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  5. 1 2 "'I Never Thought I'd be Playing Field': Box Star Dhane Smith Starting to Feel at Home Outdoors". www.insidelacrosse.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
  6. ↑ "Smith sets NLL scoring record in Bandits win". WKBW-TV. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Dhane Smith wins 2nd NLL MVP award | Buffalo Bandits - bandits.com". bandits.com. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  8. ↑ "Calgary's Christian Del Bianco Named National Lacrosse League MVP". www.usalaxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  9. ↑ "Premier Lacrosse League Stats". stats.premierlacrosseleague.com. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Box Star Dhane Smith Now Household Name in the Field Game". www.usalaxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  11. ↑ Donahue, Mark (2015-05-20). "Canadian Lacrosse Announces 23-Man Roster for WILC 2015". Lacrosse All Stars. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  12. ↑ "Canada remains victorious at Men's World Indoor Lacrosse Championship | Canadian Lacrosse Association - Pointstreak Sites". cla.pointstreaksites.com. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Lacrosse Canada : Website by RAMP InterActive". www.lacrosse.ca. Retrieved 2023-05-30.
  14. ↑ Levi, Adam (May 24, 2023). "Beyond the Box - Josh Byrne Lives With a New York State of Mind". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  15. ↑ Jenner, Maki (August 6, 2020). "We Belong Here: Smith, Byrne Serving as Role Models for Next Generation". Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "Dhane Smith". NLL. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  17. ↑ "Dhane Smith". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  18. ↑ "Stats - 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships". wilc.lacrosseshift.com. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  19. ↑ "2nd Team All-Pro Midfield". PLL Twitter. 2021-09-18. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
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