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Grand Forks Herald
Cole Smith signs 3-year, $9-million deal with Chicago Blackhawks
- Story byGrand Forks Herald
- Cole Smith signs 3-year, $9-million deal with Chicago Blackhawks
Jul. 1—GRAND FORKS — Cole Smith has landed the biggest deal of his professional career.
The former UND winger from Brainerd, Minn., signed a three-year, $9-million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks on the opening day of the NHL's free agency period, according to
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writer Frank Seravalli.
The contract will take Smith through the 2028-29 season.
Smith, 30, recently helped the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final.
He scored three goals and tallied six points in 22 playoff games, serving as a winger on Vegas' fourth line. Vegas lost to Carolina in six games.
This is the sixth NHL contract for Smith. He previously signed four one-year deals and a two-year deal.
Smith played four seasons at UND, the only NCAA Division-I program to offer him a scholarship. It was a 20% scholarship.
His role increased during his tenure from 2016-20.
Smith joined with Mark Senden and Gavin Hain to form a dominant shutdown line for the 2019-20 Fighting Hawks, who were 26-5-4 and the NCAA's No. 1 team in the Pairwise Rankings when the season shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Smith signed an NHL free-agent deal with the Nashville Predators that summer.
The 6-foot-3, 194-pound winger spent his first five-and-a-half professional seasons with Nashville's organization.
Nashville sent Smith to Vegas at the trading deadline last season.
Smith has played 292 NHL regular-season games across six seasons.
