Smith said that government subsidy is five to seven per cent of the total Hockey Canada budget, distributed to coaching and officiating development, the national teams for Olympic participation, some is from Sport Canada. Smith negotiated with Canadian Tire, and Bauer Hockey in 2014, to create the First Shift Program. The program includes equipment for new players to the game, and a six-week program to learn the game. As of 2018, First Shift has helped 15,500 Canadian children play hockey, and made its debut in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Smith negotiated Hockey Canada's relationship with Molson Brewery such that it is different at adult events, and youth events below the legal drinking age, and ensured there are guidelines for usage of the Hockey Canada brand. He has also negotiated deals to perpetuate Hockey Canada Foundation philanthropy, seeking corporate sponsors with an interest in youth hockey, and to run events with hockey alumni, and involve community leaders, such as a partnership with the city of Montreal and the Montreal Canadiens, to provide hockey for underprivileged youth. Smith pursued an ethical consumerism policy for Hockey Canada and its merchandise suppliers. Smith said that Hockey Canada wants "to keep up to the highest standards of transparency", and work with labour rights groups, including the Worker Rights Consortium and the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production." Smith spoke at the World Hockey Summit in 2010, and expressed concerns that youth hockey was no longer growing in Canada. He stated that 9.1% of Canadian children from ages 9 to 15 were playing ice hockey, a figure which had changed in the last decade. He felt that the increasing cost of playing, and increasing cultural diversity which embraced other sporting options and contributing factors; and it would be necessary for minor hockey associations to promote the game and make it easier to participate. Prior to becoming COO of Hockey Canada, Smith was not well known outside of hockey, and seemed to be an internal replacement for Nicholson when the latter retired in July 2014. Smith was considered for the presidency when Tom Renney was hired instead. On December 29, 2016, Hockey Canada announced that Smith would replace Renney as president on July 1, 2017. Smith kept his role as COO, while Renney remained as CEO. Renney said that by promoting Smith, "there was an opportunity for Hockey Canada to be more effective in fulfilling its mandate", and that he and Smith have “very complementary skill sets and approaches”. Renney said that their respective "jobs really won’t change a whole lot, other than that we make ourselves more diverse".