Colorado Mammoth@ Rochester Knighthawks 01/24/25 (Photos for NLL by Jonathan Tenca)
(Rochester, NY)… Rochester Knighthawks President and General Manager Dan Carey announced today that the team has re-signed forward Ryan Smith to a five-year contract, pending league approval.
During the 2024-25 season, Smith scored a career-high 49 goals to finish tied for second in the National Lacrosse League. He also led the NLL with 20 power-play goals en route to an 84-point campaign. Smith shared the team’s Offensive MVP Award with Connor Fields.
“Ryan is a dynamic scorer and an important leader for our team,” said Carey. “He’s someone who consistently elevates the players around him and sets the standard for what it means to be a Knighthawk. We’re thrilled to have him committed to Rochester for the next five years.”
In his career, he has posted 163 goals and 154 assists for 317 points in 70 games. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound forward holds the all-time (50) and single-season (20) franchise records for power-play goals. Smith had a breakout season in 2023-24, when he collected career highs in assists (53) and points (99), while tallying 46 goals.
Smith was named to the 2021-22 NLL All-Rookie Team after setting the franchise’s single-season scoring records by a rookie during the 2021-22 campaign. He finished two goals shy of matching his rookie output but ended with career highs in assists (42) and points (75) in 2022-23, while also tying for seventh in the league with a team-best 11 power-play goals.
Selected by Rochester third overall in the 2020 National Lacrosse League Entry Draft, Smith is the most decorated player to come out of Robert Morris University. As a fifth-year graduate student in 2021, Smith set career highs with 48 goals and 71 points, while also establishing single-season records for points (71), points-per-game (5.46), and goals-per-game (3.69).
As a senior, he finished the season ranked second nationally in goals-per-game and fourth in points-per-game en route to earning All-America Honorable Mention accolades from USILA, Inside Lacrosse, US Lacrosse Magazine, and College Crosse.
Over his illustrious five seasons with the Colonials, Smith scored 142 goals and totaled 217 points in 69 career games, all of which are the most in program history. He ranks second all-time in career points-per-game (3.14) and games started (59), and third in goals-per-game (2.06), and assists (75). A native of Burlington, Ontario, Smith was also a three-time All-Northeast Conference selection and remains the only player in RMU history to win NEC Rookie of the Year honors.
Smith was drafted by the Chaos Lacrosse Club in the fourth round (30th overall) of the 2021 Premier Lacrosse League College Draft. He led the Chaos to back-to-back appearances in the PLL Championship Game, winning the title in 2021.
This summer, Smith was named the Mike Kelley award winner as the Most Valuable Player of the Mann Cup after collecting 14 goals and 12 assists. During the regular season, he led Major Series Lacrosse with 55 goals and finished with 79 points. Smith was also a part of Canada’s gold medal team at the 2024 World Lacrosse Men’s Box Championship, posting 15 points in four games for Canada.
Rochester begins the 2025-26 NLL season on Sunday, Dec. 14, with a 6:00 p.m. matchup against the San Diego Seals. The Knighthawks then return home to Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena on Saturday, Dec. 20, when they host the Philadelphia Wings at 7 p.m. For ticket information, please call (585) 510-1616 or email tickets@knighthawks.com.