He was, in some ways, the first true Canuck.

Before he joined, there were the likes of Kurtenbach and Boudrias and Ververgaert, all of whom fared very well and were liked in Vancouver. But they were acquisitions, and all had short lifespans with the Canucks, still a growing franchise in the league. Then in 1978, the Canucks drafted Stan Smyl 40th overall from famous (nay, infamous) Memorial Cup champion New Westminster Bruins. He was destined for Canucks lore.

Smyl was a small player, but played with tenacity and a chip on his shoulder, never one to back down from any confrontation. His playing style was the same from his time in junior all the way to his final year in the NHL. He earned the nickname “Steamer” back in his junior days, as he worked as tirelessly and as brutishly as a steam locomotive. His relentless play, and decent skill set, made him a fan favourite from the moment he joined the Canucks right out of his draft year.

For the better part of the next decade, Stan Smyl WAS the Vancouver Canucks.

(Courtesy: Hockey Reference)

How about this goal from the otherwise dispiriting 1982 Stanley Cup Final:

A goal in the Stanley Cup final must be the dream of any professional hockey player. Smyl’s goal in Game 1 of the Final started a Canucks comeback, which eventually saw them take the lead, thanks to Jim Nill. The game went to OT, and that was literally as close as the Canucks ever got in that series. The juggernaut New York Islanders steamrolled the Canucks to a four-game sweep.

It wouldn’t a Canucks post without a healthy dose of self-loathing fandom. And true to form, my one enduring Smyl memory is the Game 7 overtime breakaway in the 1989 playoffs against Mike Vernon and the Flames. Smyl had a clear cut breakaway from the blueline, but Vernon flashed the leather and came up with a remarkable save. Shortly thereafter dirty cheater Joel Otto kicked the puck into the Canucks’ net to win the game and the series. But all I remember is the Smyl breakaway, and the sinking feeling that accompanied that save.

At the time of his retirement, Smyl was the all-time Canucks leader in several statistical categories:

He still remains in the franchise’s top 5 in all of those categories, surpassed only by Trevor Linden, the Sedins, and Markus Naslund.

It was that miraculous run in the spring of 1982 where Stan Smyl broke out from being merely a local fan favourite to becoming known league-wide. He embodied that ’82 team to a tee; that relentless work ethic and toughness overshadowed a lack of skill and finesse to will his way to the Stanley Cup Final. Clearly over matched by the dynastic Islanders, Smyl and the Canucks met their inevitable fate. The following summer, Smyl was rightfully made captain of the Canucks, a title he held for eight seasons, making him the longest service captain in team history. Before the start of his final season, he passed the captaincy on to a committee of players, which included a 20-year Linden.

His last year was disappointingly marred by injury, but the game had already caught up to the diminutive Smyl a few seasons prior. His love for the game and his love for the city and the team meant that he wouldn’t stay away. He immediately moved to the coaching staff, as an assistant to the legendary Pat Quinn. Later that same year, Smyl became the first Vancouver Canucks player to have his number retired, as his #12 was raised to the rafters.

Smyl has remained with the Canucks ever since. After many years as an assistant coach in Vancouver, he moved on to head coaching duties with the Canucks minor league affiliate teams, starting in 1999. He returned to the Canucks in 2004, working in their front office. He has assumed a variety of roles with the team over the years, but remains a loyal member of the franchise. Today he works as an advisor to General Manager Jim Benning.

Smyl leaves a long, lasting legacy with the franchise. Drafted in 1978, Smyl begins the 2015-16 season in his 38th consecutive year with the Canucks. Quite frankly, if Smyl were a player today, he would fit in perfectly with Benning’s Canucks. Short on skill (compared to the elite players of his era), but motivated, hard-nosed and hard-working, Stan Smyl was the every-man during his playing days; the player you saw and said to yourself, “Well, if he can make it to the NHL, then so can I!” But you don’t score over 250 career goals and almost 700 points without having same great skill and innate talent.

A fan favourite to this day and for years more, Stan Smyl leaves his stamp as the first true Canuck.