[1] During his junior career, Ryan Smyth spent three years with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL), scoring 105 points during the 1993–94 season.

Smyth played in the junior ranks with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

[8] As Weight was traded in the off-season to the St. Louis Blues, Smyth took on a larger role as offensive leader on the team.

Playing a full 82 games in 2003–04, Smyth tallied 59 points (23 goals and 36 assists) to lead the Oilers in scoring for the second straight year.

During the second round against the San Jose Sharks, he was hit in the mouth with a puck as a result of a clearing attempt from defensive teammate Chris Pronger.

After losing three teeth and needing stitches, Smyth returned in the third period and went on to set up Shawn Horcoff's game-winning goal in triple-overtime.

[13] The win reduced San Jose's series lead to 2–1, helping the Oilers eventually advance to the Conference Finals in six games.

After eliminating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the third round, the Oilers were ultimately defeated in seven games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the Finals.

Had the Oilers won the Stanley Cup, Smyth would have joined the Triple Gold Club along with Chris Pronger and Jaroslav Špaček.

Early the following season, during a game against the San Jose Sharks on October 12, 2006, Smyth broke an Oilers record for the fastest three goals scored in one contest.

Despite playing the remainder of the season with the Islanders, he finished tied for the Oilers lead in point-scoring that year; Petr Sýkora had 53 points in a full 82 games.

[17] Before boarding a flight for New York with his family, Smyth tearfully addressed the media at Edmonton International Airport, thanking the Oilers for his time with the organization and expressing regret for having to be traded.

He notched his first point as an Islander with an assist on Mike Sillinger's first-period power play goal; New York lost the game 3–2 in overtime.

Smyth's efforts helped the Islanders beat out the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2007 playoffs.

Becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2007, Smyth signed a five-year, $31.2 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

[24] Playing on the first line, Smyth found early chemistry with centre and team captain Joe Sakic.

[25] The duo was interrupted, however, as both players were sidelined with injuries for large portions of the season – Smyth's included neck, ankle and head ailments.

During the campaign, Ryan Smyth and right winger Milan Hejduk scored their respective 300th career goals on January 18, 2009, against the Calgary Flames in a 6–2 victory at the Pepsi Center.

[29] Dealing with long-term injuries to both Paul Stastny and captain Joe Sakic, the Avalanche struggled as a team and finished last in the Western Conference.

[30] With the Avalanche in the midst of a rebuilding process, Smyth was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on July 3, 2009, in exchange for Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing and a fifth-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

[32] Playing regularly on a line with Jarret Stoll and Dustin Brown, he recorded 22 goals and 53 points over 67 games, ranking fourth in team scoring.

His teammates acknowledged the accomplishment by wearing mullet wigs during their morning skate, alluding to Smyth's distinctive hairstyle.

During the off-season, it was reported that Smyth had informed Kings management he would prefer to play the last year of his contract with the Oilers.

[39] On January 26, 2014, Smyth tied Wayne Gretzky for number two on the Oilers all-time power-play goal-scoring list in a 5–1 win over the Nashville Predators.

[43] Smyth debuted with Hockey Canada with the country's under-20 team at the 1995 World Junior Championships in Red Deer, Alberta.

"[2] Smyth recorded two goals and five points over seven games, but Canada faced an early exit as they were eliminated by the United States in the quarter-final.

In December 2001, Smyth was selected to Canada's team for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Smyth contributed one assist in six games, helping Canada win their first Olympic gold medal in ice hockey since 1952.

Held outside of the NHL schedule (although league play was suspended for the 2004–05 season due to a lockout), all players were eligible to participate.

The following year, all NHL players were again available for international competition at the 2005 IIHF World Championship in Austria, due to the ongoing lockout.