Back in the early 90s, some genius thought that the reason hockey wasn't more popular in the States was because the helmets made it difficult to differentiate the players (ignoring the fact that hockey helmets don't cover the players' faces, and that football is the most popular sport in the States and their players wear full face masks).
After much debate, the league and PA agreed to give players the option to stop wearing helmets if they signed a waiver.
Smyth was the only player in the league who took them up on the offer. There were still a few guys playing who had always played bare-headed, like MacTavish and Doug Wilson, but Smyth was the only one who had previously worn a helmet who decided to try playing without one. That only lasted a few games before he put the helmet back on.
That's the thing I'll always remember about Smyth's time with the Flames.
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