The WHL’s Wenatchee Wild has announced that 2007-born defenseman Drew Smith has signed with the organization.

A Flagstaff native, Smith comes to the Wild from the Jr. Coyotes program, playing most recently for the club’s 18U AAA team.

“This has been my dream my whole life to play juniors, especially in the WHL,” said Smith. “The change in the (NCAA) rules obviously helped a ton, being able to play in the WHL and then go to college. The WHL and how much they appreciate their players, everything they do for us – I’m stoked. I couldn’t be more excited to play in Wenatchee. Being in Wenatchee means a lot, because Washington is where my grandparents are on my mom’s side, so we don’t see them a lot. That would be nice to have them coming to my games.”

Smith has played for the Jr. Coyotes for the past four seasons, most recently notching five goals and 20 assists in 44 contests at the 18U level during the 2024-25 campaign. He also helped to guide the program to the USA Hockey national tournament this season, and suited up in all three of the team’s games in Pittsburgh.

“Drew is a young man we have been watching for a number of years with the Coyotes program,” said Wild director of scouting Leigh Mendelson. “Seeing him early, we thought he was on track for a breakout season. After watching him compete against other future WHL players at the Circle K Tournament at Christmas, we decided to add him to our list. He is a long, athletic defender with a strong work ethic and commitment to his teammates. We are excited to have the opportunity to develop Drew in the WHL over the next few seasons.”

Drew followed his older brother Ben into the sport when he was just three years old, and moved to the Phoenix area to continue his development several years ago. Smith says his game starts with his physicality on defense and ability to transition his team out of its defensive zone. He said he is excited to work with the Wild staff on advancing his positioning and all-around skills.

“I want people to know that I’m never going to give up on a play, and I’m going to give it my absolute all,” said Smith. “Even if I turn the puck over, I always go back and get it – I never give up on a play. I just want people to respect the way I play and appreciate me as a player, and as a person.”

In addition to the Jr. Coyotes, Smith also spent time with the Flagstaff Avalanche high school team.

Photo/James Peszek/Jr. Coyotes

— Wenatchee Wild Staff

(May 21, 2025)