Derek Smith (ice hockey, born 1954)
A dependable two-way forward who carved out a solid NHL career with defensive grit and a knack for timely scoring.
Born 1954 (age 72)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: July 31·Baby Boomers
Biography
Derek Smith's path to the NHL was that of a steady climber, not a hyped phenom. Drafted in a late round by the Buffalo Sabres, he made the team out of camp in 1975 and quickly proved his value as a versatile, intelligent forward. He wasn't the flashiest player on a Sabres team known for its offensive firepower, but coaches trusted him in critical defensive situations and on the penalty kill. Smith had a sneaky-good shot and a sense for finding open ice, posting a career-high 25 goals in the 1980-81 season. A trade to the Detroit Red Wings in 1982 gave him a new role as a veteran presence on a rebuilding team. While injuries began to take a toll, his eight-year career was a model of consistency and hockey IQ, demonstrating that there's always room for a player who does the hard, unglamorous work perfectly.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Derek was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Derek Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Derek's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 497 regular-season NHL games, scoring 102 goals and 150 assists for 252 points.
- Recorded a career-best 25-goal season with the Buffalo Sabres in 1980-81.
- Was a key part of the Sabres' penalty-killing units and defensive forward corps throughout the late 1970s.
Did You Know?
He was drafted 30th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft.
His son, Reilly Smith, also plays in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.
He played his junior hockey for the Ottawa 67's in the Ontario Hockey Association.
“My job was to read the play and be in the right place.”
