JEREMY SMITH REMEMBERS laughing.
It was the 2018-19 season, and Smith was a goalie for the AHL Bridgeport Tigers, an affiliate of the New York Islanders. It was the ninth minor league team of his career. He was getting older. Outside of 10 games with the Colorado Avalanche, his NHL dream hadn't been realized. He was in hockey purgatory. "I was an NHL bubble guy, always a No. 3 goalie," he said.
His career, and his life, changed with a phone call. It was his agent. Someone had offered Smith a contract for next season.