After being returned to the Ottawa 67s in the first round of training camp cuts, the Jackets expected Dalton Smith to rebound from a bit of a regression season. An agitator who the team was hoping to see show more offensive upside, this was going to be a bit of a make or break season for the 2010 pick, who signed his entry level deal this summer.
Unfortunately, he’s started this season on the worst possible footing, being suspended by the OHL for 10 games as a result of his charging penalty against Belleville Bulls goaltender Malcom Subban.
The hit came as Smith broke into the Bulls’ zone on a semi-breakaway, lost the puck, and not only made no effort to avoid contact with Subban as he skated through the crease, but raised his arm / elbow to intentionally catch Subban in the head.
There’s no excuse for the hit – at best, he was trying to run the goalie and give him a hard bump to the upper chest, which would have been at least a needless goaltender interference penalty, but his actions as filmed were completely reckless. For a player who was expected to take steps forward this season, it’s a disappointing start to say the least.