Defenseman Dennis Smith played his Junior hockey with the Kingston Canadians then joined the Erie Golden Blades of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League before moving on to stops in Sweden and Peoria before signing his first NHL contract with the Detroit Red Wings in December of 1986. Smith, who was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 27th, 1964, never got a chance to play of his hometown team instead spending the next three years with their farm club in Adirondack. On July 25th, 1989, Smith signed a deal with the Washington Capitals and it was with them that he made his debut.
Smith suited up for four games with the Capitals during the 1989-90 season and was held without a point. That off-season Smith moved on and signed a free agent contract with the Los Angles Kings.
On the West Coast Smith again played just four games and again was kept off the score sheet. Though Smith signed a deal with the Boston Bruins and was later traded back to the Washington Capitals, he did not resurface at the NHL level.
In 1992 Smith signed to play a season in Austria with VEU Feldkirch then retired from the game at season's end. After a year away he retuned, this time in the International Hockey League and played two years with the Kalamazoo Wings before retiring for a second and final time in 1996.