Blue Jackets sign D Brendan Smith to one-year, two-way contract
The 36-year-old defenseman has played 726 NHL games over 14 seasons with Dallas, New Jersey, Carolina, Detroit and the Rangers
By Blue Jackets Staff
BlueJackets.com
November 24, 2025
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed veteran defenseman Brendan Smith to a one-year, two-way National Hockey League/American Hockey League contract for the 2025-26 season, club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today. Smith will join the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Smith, 36, has collected one assist and eight penalty minutes in 11 games with the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate, this season. He registered 39 goals and 105 assists for 144 points with 787 penalty minutes, 972 hits, 694 blocked shots and 811 shots on goal in 726 games with the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings over 14 NHL seasons. He’s added 3-12-15 and 72 PIM in 59 contests in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was originally selected by Detroit in the first round, 27th overall, in the 2007 NHL Draft.
A native of Mimico, Ontario, Smith collected 1-5-6 and 33 PIM in 32 appearances for the Stars in 2024-25. He set career highs in hits and blocked shots in 2023-24, finishing with 5-10-15, 117 hits and 101 blocked shots in 63 outings with the Devils in 2023-24. He made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in 2011-12 and posted 15-52-67 with 281 PIM, 291 hits and 260 blocked shots in 291 contests over six campaigns from 2011-17. He also spent parts of five seasons with the Rangers from 2016-21 and collected 14-29-43 with 313 PIM, 348 hits and 194 blocked shots in 235 games.
The 6-2, 200-pound blueliner posted 27-62-89 and 279 PIM in 174 career American Hockey League games with the Monsters, Hartford Wolf Pack (2017-18) and Grand Rapids Griffins (2010-13). He played three seasons of college hockey at the University of Wisconsin from 2007-10, finishing with 26-61-87 and 177 PIM in 95 appearances.
Columbus returns to action tonight at the Washington Capitals. Game time from Capital One Arena is 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio and the FanDuel Sports Network app begins with the Blue Jackets Live pre-game show starting at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.