| Arthur Smith | Lone Star Brahmas | NAHL | L | G | 6’3″ | 190 | Uncomm. | Farmington, CT | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
NAHL: Top 20 Goalies Last Weekend, March 16, 2022: Smith suffered two tough shootout losses, but did everything in his power to give his team a chance to win, allowing only 4 goals on 49 shots. He has great size in net and for a young goalie shows great consistency. His positioning is elite and he is difficult to score one with straight on shots. He forces opposing teams to beat him with great passing or lucky bounces. He was great in both shootouts as well, pushing one to go almost ten rounds. Smith is a young goalie that possess a ton of potential and will be fun to watch his development going forward. Grade: A
NAHL: Goalie Report, December 23, 2021: Smith earned a nice home victory in his only appearance of the weekend. He stopped 29 of 31 to gain a .940 save percentage by playing very controlled in a bounce back game for the team from the night before. He uses his size to his advantage and finds success when he is square to the puck. As a younger goalie in the league, Smith has a sense of confidence and poise in his game that showed he was dialed in. He is one to keep an eye on being so young, as his development the rest of the season and in the years to come could make him a goalie coaches would love at the higher levels. Grade: B+
2004s: USA Hockey Selects 17’s, July 14, 2021: Smith is a tall, highly athletic netminder who is still a bit raw in his fundamentals but has a high ceiling given his frame and mobility. He’s aggressive, he challenges shooters, he’s got strong push offs and lateral quickness for his size and a sure glove. He gives up some juicy rebounds and he can play too deep in the paint after he gives up a goal or too but he’s best when he’s aggressive and catching pucks instead of his passive shot block style that gives up too many rebounds. Selects Academy standout has a high ceiling and will draw NHL attention next year despite his .731 SV% in this event after 3 games. Grade: B
New England District Select 16 & 17 Camp, June 11, 2021: Smith is well-known across the region as being one of the better netminders in his age group. He’s big, athletic and fluid in the net and there were times where he made the position look very easy when we watched him on Friday. He was tracking the puck very well here in the half of hockey that he played. He also showed a confidence that evaluators love to see – stabbing the puck with his blocker hand and handing it to the referee as if to say “Here you go, this wasn’t going in the net anyway”. For a bigger goaltender we like that he’s willing to challenge shooters at the top of his crease and he has the athleticism to cover the ground should the play shift in either direction. His big pads allow him to make great saves with his trailing leg even in moments where he has to scramble to cover the weak side. He stayed square to shooters in all situations and that included on a breakaway where he made a clean save with his shoulder. He ended up losing in the shootout on the first day but the shot that went by him was one that professional goaltenders likely would not have stopped. While he was not selected for the National Camp there’s a good chance that he will be one of the first to get the call if someone cannot make it. Grade: A-
Midget AAA: Toronto Marlies Classic, February 2020: Smith’s size jumps out at you, but his game is even bigger. He tracks the puck well down low and is immovable when his legs are anchored to the posts. He doesn’t make the first move and outwaits the shooter and knows who is on the ice for his team and makes quick decisions to either take a whistle or keep the play moving. Smith is athletic and powerful and ready to leave his net like he did in a foot race he easily won. Grade: A-
Minor Midget AAA: December 19, 2019: Smith is a big athletic goaltender. Smith was excellent in a loss vs a high skilled Compuware team in pool play. A great game all round, with saves, hits, and a fast pace – Smith made a number of timely saves to keep the game close and give his team a chance to win. Smith covers the net well, he challenges shooters, and he is also very athletic for a goaltender who covers so much of the net. Smith was South Kent’s best penalty killer in the game we viewed where he stopped a number of point blank shots and competed to see pucks effectively. Grade: B
U14: North American Challenge Cup, October 11, 2018: Arthur has great size and mobility- he checks in well over 6’0 tall. HT and WT not listed in program. Extremely hard to beat down low and keeps his rebounds under control. Can get out of his crease and play the puck behind his net. Lots of upside and a top goalie at the 04 level. Grade: B
2004s: Pro-Am Mini Chowder Cup, August 6, 2018: Smith has the goalie size that coaches salivate over – he is easily 6’1 with more room to grow. Hasn’t grown into that frame yet, but he will as he continues to mature. He plays well to his strengths: taking away as much of the net as he possibly can. He is really tough to beat in tight because his legs envelop most of the blue paint and what he can block he can generally reach with a swift poke check: a lost art among young goalies. Doesn’t panic in pressure situations, he waits for the forward to make a move 1-on-1 and then shuts down the shooter’s options. He seals his post so well that he continually knocked the net off its moorings. He will be on many coaches shortlists for summer tournaments if he continues on this trajectory.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/ Hickling Images