Former NHLer busted in huge KHL doping scandal

What a story. The AHL champion went from top prospect to busted KHL castaway…

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Former NHLer busted in huge KHL doping scandal
Keystone Press

According to a report from Sport-Express writer and KHL insider Igor Eronko, the league has issued a crackdown on doping and illegal supplements and as a result has suspended three players for violating the league’s rules. Among those players is former Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames defenseman Derek Smith. The 32 year-old played parts of four seasons for the teams from 2010 to 2014 before ultimately moving on to play in the KHL last season. Also suspended were four-time Gagarin Cup champion Danis Zaripov and 28 year-old defenseman Andrei Konev.


Smith was a rare undrafted Canadian college free-agent signing of the Senators and made a major impact on the team’s minor league affiliate in Binghamton, winning the Calder Cup in 2010-11 and finishing fourth amongst scoring for defensemen in the AHL. His career high 54 points in 71 games that season with Binghamton put him on the Flames’ radar, who would sign the big defenseman and give him 47 games of NHL action the following season. 

Unfortunately for Smith, those 47 games were the most NHL games he’d play in a season, as he’d spend much of the next two seasons watching from the press box. He did sign on with the Arizona Coyotes in the 2015 offseason, but failed to make the team. After spending one more year in the AHL, Smith bolted for the KHL’s Croatian club Medvescak Zagreb.

Source: Igor Eronko