Reilly Smith, hungry to prove himself and happy to be a Golden Knight, seized his opportunity

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EDMONTON — Reilly Smith feels like he’s where he belongs.

Saturday night at Rogers Place, after scoring two incredible goals that included a dramatic buzzer-beater to win Game 3 for the Vegas Golden Knights, Smith celebrated with his best friends.

In the dressing room, with the team’s win song (“I Like It” by Alesso and Nate Smith) blasting, teammates awarded Smith the player of the game by placing a golden chain with the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign around his neck.

It’s appropriate because no one is more delighted to be back in Las Vegas than Smith.

“It feels like you’re back with your best friends and having fun every day,” he said. “Throughout my entire career, the playoffs have been the most fun time of the year. You have to relish those moments because they don’t come around easily.”

A sense of belonging can be a powerful feeling. Playing with his longtime friends, in a city and organization that feels like home, where he’s already won a Stanley Cup, has brought the best out of Smith.

He has donned a Golden Knights sweater for 97 playoff games, the fourth-most in franchise history. He’s also fourth all-time with 70 postseason points. He was part of both trips to the Cup Final in 2018 and 2023, and enjoyed every moment of each.

He was traded to Pittsburgh 15 days after winning the Cup with the Golden Knights, and the last year and a half away from Las Vegas — missing the playoffs with the Penguins last season and on track to miss them again with the New York Rangers this season — gave him perspective.

“You can’t take it for granted,” he said. “To be on a team where you feel you can compete for the Stanley Cup is pretty rare, so to be able to do that with this group and this organization is special. It’s something that I’m stepping in every day just wanting to make the most of it.”

Smith returned to Vegas ahead of this year’s trade deadline in March and picked up right where he left off. He’s been a dependable two-way forward and excellent penalty-killer with the hands to make special plays when given the opportunity.

“It was like he never left,” defenseman Brayden McNabb said. “He has that ability to make those plays. That first (goal on Saturday night) was like a one-on-four, it felt like. It was a great move. He’s a big part of it and he showed it last night.”

Reilly Smith scores on Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner with 0.4 seconds left to win Game 3 for the Golden Knights. (Leila Devlin / Getty Images)

Smith wasn’t as productive during his time in Pittsburgh or New York. Coming off a career year in 2022-23 with the Golden Knights in which he poured in 26 goals, Smith scored only 23 in one and a half seasons combined with the Penguins and Rangers. His play wasn’t poor by any stretch, but he wasn’t the same level of difference-maker he had been in Vegas.

It could be that he wasn’t able to find the same level of chemistry with his new teammates as he had with William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault during his first stint in Vegas. NHL careers can fly by, and while Smith tries to soak in every moment, he admitted it’s only natural to occasionally take things for granted.

“Even if you don’t want to do that, it’s human that it seeps into your day-to-day life, no matter what it is,” he said. “Whether it’s hockey or not. Every now and then you have to take a step back and realize how good you have things. Over the last year and a half, I’ve had a lot of times where I could do that. You say, ‘Wow, that was pretty special,’ and maybe I should’ve taken more time to step back and say, ‘This is a great opportunity.’”

Smith loves Las Vegas. It’s where he started his family and laid roots. He founded an annual celebrity softball game that has since raised more than $850,000 for local charities. More than anything, though, he loves competing for the Cup. He knows that in Vegas, he has that opportunity every year.

“That has always been a dream of mine, to be able to do that,” he said. “Just trying to live it every day, make the most of it and try to get better. We have a room full of guys trying to do the same thing.”

When Smith rejoined the team in March — he was traded for Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round draft pick — he wanted to do anything he could to help the Golden Knights win. He played down the lineup, averaging only 15 minutes of ice time per game — his lowest in his NHL career since he was a rookie in 2013-14.

It’s not as easy to make an impact in that role. Any hockey player would say the same. But in the meantime, Smith has played his checking role well and pitched in on the penalty kill. He scored a short-handed goal on an assist from Karlsson, bringing back memories of seasons past: Smith scored 12 short-handed goals in his first stint with the Golden Knights, with Karlsson assisting on seven of them. During that same span, Smith assisted on four short-handed goals scored by Karlsson.

Then on Saturday night in Edmonton, with the Golden Knights facing the possibility of falling behind 3-0 in their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers, captain Mark Stone went down with an injury. Everyone on the Vegas bench knew they’d need to pitch in.

“You can’t replace a guy like Mark Stone. The best you can do is by committee,” Smith said. “The strength of this group is the parity of our lineup, and everyone is itching for more opportunity. I think that goes a long way. There’s opportunity in every game, and when players get a little more ice time, it’s a great feeling to be able to prove something for yourself, and to help the group. I think everyone relishes that.”

Small picture, Smith was hungry to prove he can handle more responsibility for this team. Big picture, he was hungry to prove that at 34 years old, after a couple down seasons, he’s still a difference-maker when the lights are at their brightest.

He did just that. He surpassed 16 minutes of ice time for the first non-overtime playoff game this season, and made several game-changing plays to help the Golden Knights rally from a two-goal deficit for their biggest win of the season.

“Obviously it’s tough when Stoney goes down, but everyone is like, ‘We have to step up and do a little more,’” Smith said. “There’s also an added part of that where I have an opportunity to help make a difference as well.

“I was pretty hungry for that. I see that as such an opportunity, not just for myself but to help the team. I think I play better when I play more minutes. I always felt like that keeps me in the game more.”

Smith played confidently with the puck, challenging defenders and fighting his way to the front of the net. He tied the game 2-2 late in the first period by splitting two Edmonton defensemen, opening Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner up with a slick deke and sliding the puck underneath him.

this was beautiful from Reilly Smith 😍 pic.twitter.com/amzhcBZ273

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 11, 2025

Then Smith won the game for the Golden Knights with an incredibly poised play in the waning seconds, skating around two defenders and out-waiting Skinner before scoring the game winner with 0.4 seconds left on a shot that deflected off Leon Draisaitl’s stick and into the net.

“That’s one of those great feelings, when you’re able to make the most of that opportunity,” Smith said. “You don’t want to squander those. It’s a good feeling to make the most of it, mainly just to help the team win. That’s an important game for us. When your captain goes down, you need everyone to step up. I think everyone did a great job stepping up and making a difference.”

Scoring those goals and celebrating in that locker room conjured many memories for Smith and his teammates. It’s the room where they enjoyed a Game 6 win over Edmonton in the second round of the 2023 playoffs en route to their championship. It’s also the same building where they clinched series against Chicago and Vancouver in the 2020 bubble playoffs, and where that run ended with a loss to Dallas.

“It’s funny being in this building,” he said. “It’s almost like an eerie feeling like, ‘We’ve done this before.’ We’ve won series here. We’ve also lost series here. It’s a great feeling to be able to come back in the room and everyone be excited.”

Smith is far more concerned with the team’s success than his own. He knows they’re still in a battle with the defending Western Conference champs and in need of another crucial win to even the series on Monday.

Still, there’s time for brief moments of appreciation. He certainly had one of those while sitting in the dressing room with the gold chain around his neck, celebrating his team’s thrilling victory with his best friends.

“I’m very fortunate to have teammates that are happy for my success as well,” he said. “You build relationships with those guys that you’ve been around a long time. It’s a win, but then there’s also people who are just happy for you personally, and that’s nice.”

Karlsson is one of those people. He and Smith have rare chemistry on the ice, which likely stems from how close they are off it.

“I’m super happy (for him),” Karlsson said at the postgame news conference, sitting right next to Smith. “Not only is he a great hockey player, but a good friend as well. His family and my family are good friends as well, so I’m very happy.”

The press conference ended on that line from Karlsson. The two stood up together, and as they were walking off the stage, Smith smiled and quipped, “Thanks Karl.”

 (Photo: Curtis Comeau / Icon Sportswear)

This news was originally published on this post .

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