Exclusive | Rangers' Reilly Smith thought his NHL 'career was over' before memorable Vegas tenure

LAS VEGAS — There was a lot of nostalgia that naturally came with Reilly Smith's first time playing at T-Mobile Arena since winning his first Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights two seasons ago. In reflecting on his six years in Vegas, however, the 33-year-old forward considers so much more than his championship ring: his expansion draft-day trade from the Panthers; the feeling in the Golden Knights' locker room at the start; the journey he and his teammates went on to become the first team to deliver Lord Stanley to the Strip in Sin City. “I thought my career was over,” Smith told The Post of his initial thoughts coming to Vegas, after the Rangers' morning skate Saturday. “It was kind of, at

Published: 01/11/2025

Author: New York Post