Everett, Wash. — The Everett Silvertips have solidified their leadership group for the 2025-26 season, appointing defenseman Tarin Smith as the 26th team captain in franchise history.
Additionally, Carter Bear, Landon DuPont, Jesse Heslop and Jaxsin Vaughan have been named alternate captains for the season.
“We discussed [the leadership group] as a staff and had an idea in our minds,” commented head coach Steve Hamilton. “But I think it’s really important to get the view of the players. We talked a lot with them about the characteristics of a leader and what we value and what they value. We asked for their input, and it’s great that on a number of levels our visions aligned.”
Smith, a 2006-born Porcupine Plain, SK native, is in his fourth full season with the Silvertips. Serving as an alternate captain last year, Smith posted 16 goals and 44 assists for 60 points with a +35 defensive rating and 50 penalty minutes in 65 regular season games played. He tacked on four goals and 12 assists in 13 playoff games.
He has appeared in 145 career games for the Silvertips, debuting as a 15-year-old on Dec. 29, 2021 at Prince George. Selected 20th-overall in 2021, he skated in three games for the Silvertips that season and eight in an injury-derailed 2022-23 campaign. He returned healthily in 2023-24, logging 44 points in 66 games with five additional points in eight playoff games.
Smith was selected 79th-overall in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Anaheim Ducks.
“Tarin is an exceptionally good human being, first and foremost,” Hamilton noted. “His approachability, he’s able to communicate and connect with everyone whether they’ve been here a long time or they’re fresh faces. He’s very easy to talk to. Tarin’s a guy that knows [my] door is always open, and he takes advantage of that.”
ALL-TIME SILVERTIPS CAPTAINS
PLAYER YEAR
Bryan Nathe 2003-04
Mitch Love 2004-05
Torrie Wheat 2005-06
Cody Thoring / Jason Fransoo* 2006-07
Jonathan Harty 2007-08
Zack Dailey 2008-10
Landon Ferraro 2010-11
Ryan Murray 2011-13
Matt Pufahl 2013-14
Kohl Bauml 2014-15
Dawson Leedahl 2015-16
Noah Juulsen 2016-17
Kevin Davis / Matt Fonteyne* 2017-18
Connor Dewar 2018-19
Bryce Kindopp 2019-20
Gianni Fairbrother / Cole Fonstad* 2020-21
Jackson Berezowski / Ronan Seeley* 2021-22
Jackson Berezowski 2022-23
Ben Hemmerling / Austin Roest * 2023-24
Kaden Hammell / Eric Jamieson * 2024-25
Tarin Smith 2025-26
* Co-captains assigned for season
Bear, a 2006-born West St. Paul, MB native, is in his second season as alternate captain of the Silvertips. Having been returned to Everett after spending the summer training with the Detroit Red Wings who drafted him 13th-overall this past NHL Draft, Bear is looking to build off a 40-goal, 82-point season in 56 appearances in 2024-25. He is in his fourth season with the Silvertips, having recorded 141 career points in 142 games played.
DuPont, a 2009-born Calgary, AB native, is the youngest player to wear a leadership letter in Silvertips franchise history at just 16 years old. The former first-overall pick in the 2024 WHL Draft earned CHL Rookie of the Year honors last year, notching 17 goals and 43 assists for 60 points in 64 games played with a +31 defensive rating. He tacked on five goals and 10 assists in 10 playoff games played. He has previously served as captain of Hockey Canada Red at the 2024 U17 World Challenge and an alternate captain for Hockey Canada at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky tournament.
Heslop, a 2006-born Nanaimo, B.C. native, has appeared in 201 games as an Everett Silvertip since debuting with the team as a 15-year-old on Dec. 19, 2021 vs Spokane. The former third-round WHL Draft pick posted 27 goals and 33 assists for 60 points and a +35 defensive rating while appearing in all 68 regular season games last year, with eight points in 13 playoff games.
Vaughan, a 2006-born Merritt, B.C. native, was acquired via trade from the Regina Pats on Nov. 16, 2024. The former 21st-overall WHL Draft pick dressed in 48 games as a Silvertip last year, recording 14 points and 88 penalty minutes. He has skated in 183 total games, amassing 51 points and 234 penalty minutes.
