With Capouch’s help, Smith refined his skills and learned more about his position.

“Peter was a tremendous player. He made me better and taught me a lot,” Smith said. “Hopefully I can combine his skill with a 6’2 frame.”

Though Capouch was not by his side last season, Smith helped maintain Harvard’s strong defensive corps while posting a career-best four goals and 11 assists. He also tallied the Crimson’s lone goal against perennial powerhouse Boston University in last year’s Beanpot.

The way Smith borrowed from Capouch’s approach is one of many examples of him learning from older teammates. As an eighth grader at Austin Prep, he became the youngest player ever to play varsity hockey.

“I just kept my mouth shut and watched what the other guys were doing,” Smith said. “I tried to emulate the older guys.”

His play that year caught the attention of Bill Hanson, legendary head coach at Catholic Memorial High School, one of the premier hockey programs in Massachusetts.

“He went from being the big fish in a little pond to being a little fish in a big pond,” Hanson said. “But he brought an awful lot of talent and showed a maturity young kids don’t often have.

“I thought he was a little too serious about hockey at the time, but he was obviously preparing himself for a job.”

Smith played hockey at Catholic Memorial during his freshman and sophomore seasons. During his stay, the Knights went 24-0 and advanced to state and national championship games.

Following that, Smith joined the U.S. National Team Developmental Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. The change made hockey the main focus in Smith’s life, allowing him to play in increasingly competitive game conditions.

“It took my game to a whole new level,” Smith said. “I went from playing 24 games a season to playing 80 games, and was able to learn the little intricacies of the game.”

Though Smith’s experience at the USNTDP made the transition to college easier, he almost didn’t come to Harvard. Smith was reluctant to attend, but his pre-frosh college visit made all the difference. In that short time, he enjoyed spending time with hockey players, and he was impressed with the attitude of the coaching staff. He was excited about their commitment to compete at the highest national level.

And now, Smith has the chance to take them there.

“[Our class] has one chance left, one more Beanpot and one more shot at a national championship that will leave a real positive mark on this program,” he said. “We didn’t come here to challenge for the league title and then bow out in the first round of the [NCAA] tournament.

“We came here to win a national championship.”

As Harvard pursues what would be its first national championship since 1989, the Crimson’s younger players will seek to emulate him, just as he learned from Capouch two years ago.

And it’s happening already.

“So far, Kenny has been an unbelievable captain,” freshman defender Dylan Reese said. “He not only leads by speech, but by work ethic as well. I’ve tried to do a lot of things he does.”