Coaching veteran to lead Colony

PALMER — When Jamie Smith made the decision to step away from the Houston High School hockey program during the 2005-06 season, after 16 seasons with the Hawks, the longtime local hockey coach knew he’d eventually come back to the prep ranks. Smith just didn’t think his return would come in 2010.

Earlier this week, Smith jumped back into high school hockey as the new head coach of the Colony High School program.

“It’s a little earlier than I wanted to be available, but I talked to my family about it and thought it was a good time to get back in,” Smith said after officially accepting the position.

Smith has coached youth, prep or junior hockey in the Valley for more than 20 years. He’s been with the Big Lake Hockey Association, a program now known as the Junior Avalanche youth hockey association, since 1993. Smith also spent several years with the Alaska Avalanche, and served as the Junior A hockey program’s head coach and general manager during the 2007-08 season.

Even though Smith has consistently coached hockey at one level or another in the Valley for more than two decades, when he left the Houston program, Smith didn’t plan on returning to high school hockey until his son, Cooper, was set to play on the prep ranks.

“When he got to that point I thought I’d grab a program and try to get it going,” Smith said.

His son is only in the fifth grade, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to lead the Colony program. Smith said the Knights have always had quality players and he said he’s eager to try to get Colony skating on the right track.

“I look back and see some of the hockey players who have been there — and not to knock any of the coaches who have been there — it’s a shame they haven’t put things together,” Smith said. “Colony has been having success with so many of their programs. Why wouldn’t they be having more success with that program?”

Now, Smith — a coach who led the Hawks to six Greatland Conference titles and five 3A state championships — will lead a Knights program that has not advanced to a 4A state tournament since 2006.

Smith, who has spent time coaching on three different levels in the Valley, said there’s certainly something attractive about coaching high school hockey.

“I like this level as far as developing kids. With high school, they’re still at that age, they want to learn,” Smith said. “It’s exciting to watch that type of kid evolve as a player and a student.”

Smith also returns to prep hockey with a fresh perspective from the junior level.

“For me, it kind of helps me understand where a kid needs to be,” Smith said.

Smith has coached many of the Colony players within the Junior Avalanche youth programs. That familiarity with the players was also a factor, he said.

“I’m excited,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of talent.”

Smith has spent much of his life involved in hockey in the Valley. He started his career in the Big Lake Hockey Association as a 6-year-old Big Lake Elementary student. He played high school hockey at Wasilla. After graduating from Wasilla High School in 1984, Smith skated for the Penticton Panthers, a junior hockey squad in British Columbia, and later for Northern Arizona University. During Smith’s career with the Division II squad, NAU dropped its hockey program, and he transferred to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Following his tenure with the Nanooks, Smith, a right wing, skated on the professional ranks with the Alaska Gold Kings.

When Smith returned to the Valley, he immediately began teaching and coaching. In 1991, he took over the Houston hockey program.

Smith is in his third year as a teacher at Mat-Su Career and Tech Center in Wasilla. He’s been employed by the Mat-Su School District for the last 21 years.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.