Tue 11/15/11 10:37 AM

Mike Smith will tend goal for the Phoenix Coyotes when they visit the Maple Leafs in Toronto tonight. Smith, who has been solid for the Coyotes this season, grew up in Ontario, not far from Toronto, but admits he never cared for the Maple Leafs. A lot of my good friends growing up were big Leafs fans, so I always gave them the gear - Montreal had way more Cups than them," he said. "Growing up as a kid in that area, (former Canadien) Patrick Roy was the best goalie at that time." Smith, who grew up in Kingston, Ontario, said Roy was his first inspiration: "Oh, absolutely, a guy that changed goaltending forever. He butterflied, one of the first goalies that did that, did it well."