A Great Fit

I can't imagine what Jalen Smereck has been through since he was the target of a racist taunt while playing for HC Donbass in Ukraine. The former ECHL all-star defender has had to deal with that incident since it happened at the start of the 2021 hockey season, but it seems he refocused and found the skills necessary to be successful as he jumped into Germany's DEL with Bietigheim SC Steelers where he showed he still has all the tools to be a world-class defender. While some complete jackass in Ukraine has to deal with his idiotic actions, it seems that Jalen Smereck has found himself a good place to land in North America for this season as he'll suit up for the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones!

If there's one thing that hockey can't deny, it's relatively white on the surface and I'm not talking about the colour of the ice. Hockey's diversity problem is being addressed by a number of groups, but it seems that the Cyclones are doing their part by having five players of colour on their roster already in addition to recently naming Jason Payne as head coach as he is the first person of colour to hold the head coach position within the Cyclones organization and just the third in ECHL history. Payne is also a member of the NHL BIPOC Coaches Association.

"We (Jason and I) first met when I was playing against Cincinnati a few years ago," Smereck told Indiana Digital News. "He came to me and we talked after the game. I've kept in touch and called him a few times last year while I was overseas. He's a great friend and a great mentor. He's someone I trust on and off the ice and I look forward to building on that relationship here in Cincinnati."

The Cyclones adding another player in Smereck to make their locker room more diverse isn't the reason Cincinnati will be a good fit for Smereck, though. It's certainly admirable and should be noted, but Smereck's skills on the Cyclones' blue line will be a welcomed addition for Payne as he looks to guide Cincinnati to a Kelly Cup championship. Smereck, for his part, scored ten goals and 24 assists in 46 DEL games last season, so he should be able to put up similar numbers with Cincinnati if things go well.

Those numbers are entirely comparable to the numbers Smereck put up in 2018-19 when he was named an ECHL All-Star. In that season, Smereck scored five goals and added 28 assists in just 44 ECHL games, so his .739 points-per-game rate in the DEL was only .011 off his 0.750 points-per-game rate in his all-star season. That should excite the fans of the Cyclones who are getting an offensively-minded defender who has shown improvement in his own zone as he's matured and experienced the game across the world.

"Jalen's a special player who can bring a lot to our team," Payne said. "I've kept in touch with him for a while and we're very excited to add him to our lineup. He's played at nearly a point-per-game pace both here and overseas. You don't see that from a lot of defensemen. He's solid on both sides of the ice and will be an impact player for us."

That's precisely what any player wants to hear: a chance to play and be an impact player. Payne knows Smereck's work from the ECHL after watching him skate and score against teams that Payne coached, and now he'll have the ability to send Smereck over the board to wreak havoc on the opposition. It will take more than one player to win that elusive Kelly Cup, but the Cyclones seem to be building a fun team that looks to be dangerous in the offensive zone.

We could see Smereck paired with the defensively-responsible Matt Cairns who scored 16 points, but led the team with a +21 rating as a rookie defender. The former Cornell and Minnesota-Duluth defender was a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, but the Oilers simply never bothered to re-sign Cairns. He's a good player who may allow Smereck to skate with the puck a little more thanks to Cairns' defence-first play.

As a Canadian university hockey fan, I'm excited to see former Ryerson/Toronto Metropolitan University forward Jeremiah Addison join Cincinnati. Addison was a solid scorer with the OHL's Ottawa 67's and Windsor Spitfires before scoring eight goals and 18 assists in 25 games with St. Francis-Xavier in the AUS in 2019-20. After transferring back to Ontario, he joined Ryerson University in 2020-21 where he notched five goals and six helpers in 13 games. He won't be a defensive pair with Smereck as he's a winger, but having a guy like Smereck feeding him pucks could have Addison scoring in big ways!

I believe that the treatment Smereck received in Ukraine will not happen here. He's a great player with a ton of potential, and I'm excited to see him succeed this season. After losing an incredible person and talent in PK Subban, we need more good, young leaders to step up and continue to push the need for diversity in the sport of hockey. Smereck could be the guy to do that since he has the drive, the will, and the talent to make things happen both on and off the ice.

This is a great signing for the Cincinnati Cyclones, and I'm happy to see Jalen Smereck back in the mix here in North America where he could get noticed by NHL scouts for the way he plays the game. If his talents take him to the next level and beyond, I'll celebrate Jalen Smereck's career while supporting his advocacy of persons of colour.

Diversity is a strength, and the Cincinnati Cyclones look like a strong team in the ECHL this season.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!