ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Rochester Grizzlies have hired former player Garrett Smith as an assistant coach, the team announced Friday.
“Garrett embodies everything we want in a coach and mentor for our players because he lived it as a player here,” head coach Marty Raymond said. “We’re thrilled to bring him back and know he’ll be a great fit behind the bench.”
Smith spent two seasons with Rochester, where he totaled 18 goals and 92 points in 89 career games, leading the team in assists and finishing second in points as captain in 2020-2021.
That 35-assist season was the single-season record by a Grizzlies player, until it was broken this past year by Andrew Bastian.
After his two years donning the black and gold, Smith went to St. John’s University, where he totaled 23 points across four seasons and was named an alternate captain for his senior season in 2024-2025.
The Eden Prairie native already has coaching experience under his belt, working as an assistant coach last season for the U16 and U18 AAA Wasatch Renegades in Salt Lake City.
“I’m very excited to return to Rochester. My time here gave me the opportunity to grow both as a hockey player and as a person,” Smith said. “I want to provide that same experience for our players and help them develop both on and off the ice. Brandon Ratzloff did a tremendous job with the team over the past three years, and I’m looking forward to continuing what he helped build.”