Coyotes' Mike Smith surprised, honored by first All-Star Game selection
When goaltender Mike Smith learned Monday evening that he had a voice mail from general manager John Chayka, two days into the Coyotes' league-mandated bye week, let's just say he wasn't in the best of spirits.
"I wasn't looking forward to the callback," Smith said Tuesday.
"You think the worst when your general manager calls you on your bye week."
Smith's concerns were ill-founded. Chayka was calling to inform the 34-year-old goaltender that he'd been selected to represent the Coyotes at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Jan. 29, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. It's a first-time honor for Smith.
"Overall, I'm just kind of surprised and shocked," Smith said. "After all that set in, just really excited and honored to represent the Coyotes."
Smith has a 2.83 goals against average and a .918 save percentage, which is tied for the fifth best mark among Western Conference goaltenders with 24 or more games. He set a franchise record with 58 saves on 60 shots attempts on Dec. 3 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He can expect another mighty workload on All-Star weekend, given the 3-on-3 format that debuted at last year's game.
"Seeing it last year on TV, it was obviously crazy for the goalies," he said. "Three on three is exciting. The fans love it; I think the players like it. I'm not sure the goalies love it, but it's exciting for everyone.
"The format like that is kind of scary for a goaltender, but it'll be a lot of fun."
Smith, who missed a large chunk of last season with a core muscle injury, says getting fully healthy has been a major factor in his play this season, as has a mental adjustment.
"Not trying to be someone I can't be, not trying to be a perfect goalie," he said. "It's hard for me sometimes not to try to play a perfect game, but it's very unrealistic. Pulling back a little bit, realizing that if I'm solid for the group, make the saves you're relied on to make and make some big ones too, you give your team a chance to win."
The season has been a difficult one for the Coyotes, who ended a nine-game losing streak with a shootout victory over the Islanders on Saturday night before starting their four-day break, but Smith says he's encouraged by recent signs of development among the team's younger players.
"As a player you want to be representing your team when as a team you're doing well and you're succeeding. This is obviously a different situation than we're in here this year," he said. "But we've done a lot of good things the last few weeks that have helped us grow as a group, and I understand where we're at."
Smith is the third Coyotes goaltender selected for the game, joining Nikolai Khabibulin (1998, 1999) and Sean Burke (2001, 2002). Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was the Coyotes' most-recent All-Star, appearing in the 2015 game. Forward Shane Doan is a two-time selection (2004, 2009).
Getting his first All-Star selection at age 34 has added significance.
"As you get older you start to realize that your playing time in the league is evaporating before your eyes and you realize how fast playing really goes," he said. "You try and tell the kids that now and they just look at you like you have three heads.
"I remember the same thing when I was young, getting told to enjoy it now because it goes by fast, and now I'm one of the older guys on the team, trying to tell that to the younger guys."