Mark Smith invited to Rangers camp

Former Sharks forward Mark Smith, drafted 219th overall by San Jose in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, has joined the New York Rangers training camp on a tryout basis, according to this report. Smith played 323 games in a Sharks jersey, scoring 22 goals, 66 points and racking up 398 penalty minutes. A fan favorite at HP Pavilion, Smith was renowned for his hard-nosed style of play and inspiring grit. Smith was also well known for his musical career. The frontman and lead singer of Bay Area group The Vinyl Trees, Smith is a talented musician and also owns a record label, Lunar Records. Smith's chances of making the Rangers are decent as New York's fourth line is far from set. That bottom unit will likely include some combination of Jarkko Immonen, Ryan Callahan, Colton Orr, Ryan Hollweg and Smith. Here's hoping Smitty gets the job, and wishing the ex-Shark a long and productive career, as a hockey player and a musician. Other training camp invites include Brent Sopel in Detroit, David Tanabe in St. Louis and Adam Hall in Pittsburgh.