born in brandon, manitoba, smart played junior hockey in the manitoba junior hockey league with the portage terriers for two seasons. in 1937–38, joined the senior ranks with the toronto marlboros of the ontario hockey association and scored 23 points in 12 games at a goal-per-game pace. the following season, he began a three-year stint in the montreal city hockey league (mchl) with the verdun maple leafs and montreal sr. canadiens.