Smash Davis via Facebook (facebook.com/Smash22x):

24 hours since I was accepted into the Simulation Junior Hockey League and no officers. Hmm. Okay, I guess there isn’t enough information about me out there. So, here it is.

I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but raised all over the United States and some parts of Europe. My father is a retired U.S. Army colonel who remains my hero. I played baseball and youth football as a child, but found the sport of hockey at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The weather in Alaska is not conducive to sports outside of hockey. But I was fortunate to play for a great youth coach, a man that taught me how to skate, stick handle, and shoot. 

My hockey career continued as we moved with every one of my dad’s reassignments. Fort Drum, New York…Germany…Korea…and Fort Lewis, Washington. We moved back to Alabama after dad retired from the Army the summer before my junior year of high school. He decided that Huntsville was our family’s last stop. Hockey was my sport, but the game wasn’t existent in Huntsville. Thankfully, my parents understood my passion for the game and agreed to send me to one of Minnesota’s most prestigious charter schools for my junior and senior years. 

I led my school to back-to-back hockey state titles in Minnesota. An invite to play with the U.S. Junior National Team followed me after graduation. However, I kept a promise to my mother and attended college instead. I went home to Alabama and attended the University of Alabama. Playing club hockey for the Frozen Tide wasn’t the level of competition I desired, but I was just happy to be on the ice. Nevertheless, my team dominated and we capture two American Collegiate Hockey Association championships in three seasons. Better yet, I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree last Fall. 

The internship I leveraged into my first career was great, but I felt a void. That void was skates on a sheet of ice. I continued working out at my alma mater’s rink during the evenings. My dad surprised me by hiring former Philadelphia Flyers center Jared Ross to train me for the professional game. Jared is Huntsville and knows exactly what is required to fill the competitive gaps created by playing the game in a state in which hockey is an afterhought. After six months of training, Jared determined that I was ready.

I entered the SMJHL when my coach determined I was ready for several reasons. Among my reasons is the desire to not be a project for a team. When I suit up for my SMJHL team, I am ready to contribute. I have a lot to learn, but I’m not a special case. My journey to the SMJHL is unique, but not inept. 

So, here I am, SMJHL…a 6-foot-3, 245-pound power forward that makes your lineup bigger and tougher by Friday. I’m ready to make an impact on the game of hockey as a professional. All I need is an opportunity. 


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