Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Incoming DI men’s hockey forward Smith looks to sharpen stick skills as he grows his knife business
6/5/2023 2:56:01 PM | Men's D1 Hockey
The memory of his maternal grandparents who stoked his interest in the sport growing up in Grande Prairie and Edmonton, Alberta, is a motivating factor for Mason Smith to continue playing hockey at the collegiate level. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 190-pound center who attended last month’s Liberty Hockey Select Camp at the LaHaye Ice Center committed over the weekend to join the Flames’ ACHA Division I team this fall.
Smith, 21, was born in Rochester, N.Y., before playing his entire career in Canada. He currently lives in White Rock, near Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I lost both of my grandparents during Junior hockey,” Smith said. “At first, I didn’t realize that was God kind of leading me (to Liberty). I have a really strong faith because of my grandparents, and my grandpa was my biggest influence in hockey. He would take me to most of my practices and games, and he would talk about going to college and getting a good education while I’m playing. I’m sure he’d be proud and pretty stunned to see where I’m going.”
Smith was impressed with Liberty’s facilities and coaching staff, including Head Coach Kirk Handy.
“It was a lot of fun to meet everybody, see all the coaches and the facilities, and play a little bit of hockey, too,” Smith said. “I met a lot of great guys and hung out with a couple of them. We went to see a Liberty Baseball game, and it was great to see the town of Lynchburg. It’s a pretty cool spot, and it reminds me of where I grew up.”
Last season, playing with the Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Smith scored 17 goals and distributed 26 assists in 54 games. Previously, he played two seasons with the Abbotsford Pilots of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, netting 18 goals and distributing 20 assists in 40 games in his second season in 2019-20, before spending two seasons with the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 2020-22.
“Playing three years of Junior A definitely helped get me ready for (the ACHA),” Smith said. “It prepared me to think the game quicker and get better in every aspect, so I’m excited about starting this year up. My game is where I want going into college.”
In 2017-18, Smith played one season on the Edmonton OHA Elite 15s with Flames’ senior Division II forward Roman Lamoureux.
“His entire family went to Liberty, and he said it is a special place,” Smith said of Lamoureux. “I am super excited.”
Smith, who runs an online business selling kitchen knives, plans to study through the School of Business and possibly pursue a B.S. in Business Administration: Digital Marketing & Advertising.
“The goal is to open multiple (online businesses) and have them fully running on their own and keep expanding,” said Smith, who also wants to own and operate a gym in the future.
Handy believes Smith will be a perfect fit in the Flames’ locker room as well as on the ice.
“We are excited to have Mason be a part of and make a positive impact on our team,” Handy said. “He’s going to be another key component to push our group of forwards forward. He will come here and be able to battle with the other guys in here. He’s going to compete and he’s going to be able to push them and make them better as a team.”
Smith’s skating ability is one of his greatest strengths.
“Speed’s the biggest part of my game,” Smith said. “I like to create a lot off the rush. I play a pretty physical game, too, and like to pin D-men down on the forecheck and to play a gritty game.”
Handy likes Smith’s versatility in the forward positions, with the ability to play on either wing as well as at center.
“I like that he’s quick and that he’s very offensive-minded,” Handy said. “He was a solid contributor for (the Kings) and he’s going to come into a great spot. He can be a part of the group we have and battle those guys and make them better every day and at the same time have an opportunity to chip in offensively.”
Off the ice, Smith is socially engaging and quick to make friends.
“I’m pretty outgoing and a happy guy,” he said. “I enjoy just being around all of the guys. Hockey doesn’t last forever, so I just try to embrace it all.”
Growing up in a Catholic family, and attending Catholic schools until he reached high school, Smith is eager to grow in wisdom and stature through Liberty’s holistic approach to education, to be sharpened spiritually as well as athletically and in his business savvy.
“Mason sees Liberty as an opportunity to further his spiritual development,” Handy said. “He is very interested in growing in his faith and in what Liberty stands for.”
Smith would like to play hockey after college, but he is leaving those plans in God’s hands.
“(Playing professionally) is definitely something I’ve been looking at,” he said. “My focus will be on my time here, and if it takes me beyond that, that is something for a later time.”
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media
