After 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, Edmonton Oilers veteran Ryan Smyth is expected to call it a career on Saturday.
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Smyth played 15 years with the Oilers over two stints after the Alberta native was selected by Edmonton with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1994 NHL Draft.
Smyth has 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points this season with the Oilers, and scored a career-high 39 goals in the 1996-97 season and a personal-best 70 points in 2000-01.
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He was instrumental for the Oilers in 2005-06 when he went 36-30--66 for the team in the regular season before adding seven goals and 16 points for the team en route to its Stanley Cup Finals appearance, where it ultimately fell in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The following season, Smyth was dealt to the New York Islanders and then had stints with the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings before returning to Edmonton in the 2011-12 season.
"I'm grateful I had a chance to play with him," Oilers forward Taylor Hall told NHL.com. "He's a great player, a great teammate and a guy who really loves the game."
Smyth was also heralded for his international play, where he earned the nickname "Captain Canada."
"[Smyth] embodies what Edmonton fans like in a hockey player," goaltender Ben Scrivens said via NHL.com. "Go to the hard areas, score with your face if you have to."
In 1,296 NHL games, Smyth has 386 goals, 456 assists and 842 points.
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