FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — Gemel Smith is the Energizer Bunny of the Dallas Stars roster.
Like the iconic battery mascot, he just keeps going and going whenever given the opportunity.
“He doesn’t stop,” Jason Spezza said. “Even when he was up a bit last season, he never stops moving, never stops working.”
It’s something that stands out when Smith re-enters the game after a healthy scratch. Like a re-charged battery, he brings a spark and often makes an impact after watching the prior game from the press box.
“His (game) is all based on energy, when his energy is up he’s a good player. When his energy is down, he struggles,” Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. “When his energy is up, and he’s playing right through people, he’s a big add to us.”
Smith played through people in the Stars 2-1 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. He scored the only goal, his third of the season, and had a positive impact each time he was on the ice.
Smith builds off of each healthy scratch. He doesn’t stew in the press box, something other scratches have struggled with in the past, and instead watches the game closely. He watches for the openings, takes notes on what the Stars top players do in all situations, and tries to assess how best to use his speed when he gets back in the lineup.
“I watch and look to see what we could use a little more of,” Smith said. “And a lot of the time it’s speed. Speed kills. Watching guys, and seeing the guys that play a lot of minutes, if I can use my speed to wear down the other team’s top defenseman it’ll make it easier for our top guys to score.”
Smith’s physical tools, the speed and the work ethic, are fueled by his mental approach to this season. Never at one point has he assumed he’s a lock to play in the NHL for the remainder of this season.
When the Stars had their annual dad’s trip, Smith didn’t want his dad to come out of fear that it would make him complacent. As the Stars near Christmas, close to a de facto middle point for the season, Smith still won’t call himself a full-time NHL player.
“I just kind of take it as I’m still fighting for a spot, and if I’m not fighting for a spot I’m fighting for ice,” Smith said. “I have to look at it like that each day, and from that I have to try and grow.”
In either a funny or frustrating twist, Smith likely would be a lineup lock if he were a little bit bigger. Listed a bit generously at 5-foot-10, and weighing in at 190 pounds, Smith has to put in extra work to make a mark in a league where coaches and general managers still have an infatuation with raw size.
It creates a demanding situation for Smith. He has to be full-go each night, or the Stars coaches will be forced to manage his energy.
“When we see the energy drop we pull him out, give him a little bit of a rest than put him back in again,” Hitchcock said. “But a lot of that is based on endurance, and this is a big man’s league, and it’s hard to be a player Smitty, because so much of his game is based on his heart and his character. But that’s wearing, for a small guy he plays a very physical game so we’ve got to manage it properly.”
And Smith doesn’t take the scratches lightly. A dozen times this season he’s been a healthy scratch, and each time he’s come back angry, not at the coaches, but at the situation, and ready to make a difference.
“My mindset is that when I’m out, I want to make it a lot harder for him to take me out when I do get back in,” Smith said. “I keep trying to learn, keep trying to go my game, because I want to get to the point where I’m in all the time, that won’t stop me from working, but I want to get to the point where I’m trying to work my way up even further to bigger things.”
Practice Notes:
— Marc Methot joined the team for practice on Monday, but isn’t close to returning according to Hitchcock. Hitchcock said Methot, who had knee surgery on Nov. 20, couldn’t keep up and had to leave after 20 minutes of team drills.
— Ben Bishop will start in goal against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, after that the goaltending plan hasn’t been set yet for the rest of this week, but goalies will probably be in action with three games in five days before the Christmas break.
— The Stars juggled lines at practice again. Here is how they lined up:
Elie — Benn — Radulov
Janmark — Seguin — Shore
Smith — Hanzal — Spezza
Roussel — Faksa — Pitlick
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