During the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Smith and assistant coach Colin Campbell discovered several Red Wings players, including Bob Probert and Petr Klima, out past curfew.
[1] The incident occurred at a suburban Edmonton bar called "Goose Loonies", and led to an apology being issued by Red Wings head coach Jacques Demers.
Smith was hired by the Rangers in 1989 to be their general manager, inheriting a team that included future stars Brian Leetch and Mike Richter.
Over the next three seasons, Smith continued to shape the team through trades and free-agent signings, acquiring several players from the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, including Kevin Lowe, Adam Graves, Esa Tikkanen, Jeff Beukeboom, Craig MacTavish, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, and Marty McSorley.
Messier became one of the most popular athletes in New York, winning the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1992, and the Rangers grew into an elite team.
Attempting to once more bring in an older superstar to re-ignite the magic of 1994, Neil Smith signed Wayne Gretzky in 1996, reuniting him with his old teammate Messier.
On July 18, 2006, before the season began, Smith was fired and replaced by Islanders goaltender Garth Snow, who retired from his playing position on the team upon being hired.
Pat LaFontaine, who had recently been hired by the team as a senior adviser, quit his post the same day in reaction to the firing of Smith.
[3] Smith was named as an assistant to Dallas Stars general manager Doug Armstrong shortly after being let go by the Islanders, October 27, 2006.