Indrid’s Son A Star

from the Kingston Whig-Standard, The youngster referred to the goalie as a “famous Canadian,” which might be a stretch but not in the north country. In this neck of the woods, Smith is a bona fide star, a local puckster who learned his trade in the shivering confines of the nearby tin-walled shinny barn in Piccadilly and now performs in grand arenas of North America, with and against the finest players on the planet.Make no mistake, these are indeed heady days for Ron and Ingrid’s strapping son, the 161st player drafted in the 2001 NHL draft. Traded from the Dallas Stars to the Tampa Bay Lightning midway through last season, Smith recently inked a two-year, $4.4-million contract extension. More importantly, he now has an opportunity to become a No. 1 goaltender, something he would not have had in Texas as long as good friend and all-star netminder Marty Turco was turning aside pucks.“It goes without saying that Mike has a bright future in the Lightning organization,” said the team’s vice-president of hockey operations, Brian Lawton.more