WAKEFIELD, Mass. - Hockey East announced today Brian Smith (Woburn, Mass.) has been elevated to the position of Associate Commissioner. Smith has spent the past three seasons as Director of Communications where he oversaw all public and media relations operations for the conference.
"Brian has earned this promotion by engaging his duties to the fullest and by becoming someone I can trust to take on increasingly more complex assignments," said Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna. "Not only is he thorough and competent in his work, he represents the conference very well outside of the confines of the office."
In his first three years with Hockey East, Smith has revitalized the digital presence of the conference by revamping the league website, HockeyEastOnline.com, and its social media channels to develop the most heavily followed accounts in college hockey. Smith also served as the main media contact for the 2015 Frozen Four, hosted by Hockey East and the TD Garden, and assisted in the successful execution of the Friendship Four Tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Frozen Fenway events. He has also played a key role in Hockey East's television negotiations, while spearheading new digital ventures for the league.
Smith has been involved with numerous other endeavors during his time with Hockey East, including assisting with multiple NCAA Ice Hockey Officiating Department programs, serving on the media relations team at the 2016 and 2017 Frozen Fours, directing the 2015 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, aiding with the media operations of the American Hockey Coaches Association, and serving as Assistant Venue Press Officer for Gillette Stadium during the 2016 Copa América Centenario.
Prior to joining the conference in July 2014, Smith spent two years with USA Hockey as the Brian Fishman Intern, a prestigious program that develops young professionals in the athletic communications business. Dividing his time with USA Hockey between the national office in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the National Team Development Program, then located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Smith traveled extensively while assisting in numerous international tournaments as the main media contact for U.S. national teams. While with the NTDP, Smith served as the main media contact for both the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 teams. Additionally, Smith played an integral role in the execution of the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies.
Smith also has spent time working with the Boston Bruins and New England Revolution in various roles. With the Bruins from 2010-12, Smith worked alongside a communications staff that received the Dick Dillman Award and was charged with media relations duties during the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. With the New England Revolution, Smith oversaw donations for the New England Revolution Charitable Foundation and assisted with all match day operations, including international friendlies at Gillette Stadium.
A former high school hockey player at Woburn Memorial High School, Smith is a 2012 graduate of Boston College with a degree in English and Communications and earned four varsity letters in track and field while competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
ABOUT HOCKEY EAST
The Hockey East Association is an 11-team Division I college men's hockey conference founded in 1984 and a nine-team Division I women's league which began play in the 2002-03 season. Since 1999, Hockey East has won seven NCAA championships in 15 NCAA Championship Game appearances and has placed 26 teams in the Frozen Four and 64 teams in the NCAA Tournament during that time. The women's league has sent 11 teams to the Frozen Four and 22 to the NCAA Tournament in its 15 seasons on the ice while boasting two Patty Kazmaier Award winners.