Jean-Guy "Smitty" Gendron was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 863 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. Gendron scored his first NHL goal on November 9, 1955, for the New York Rangers in their 1–1 home tie versus the Montreal Canadiens. He also played 127 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Quebec Nordiques, a team for which he was the head coach for two seasons.
Gendron played junior hockey with the Trois-Rivieres Reds before making his professional debut with the Providence Reds in 1954. He scored an NHL career high 24 goals in 1959–60 despite generally being called upon to play a hard-nosed, defensive-oriented role.
WHA coaching record:
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Division rank | Result | ||
| QUE | 1974–75 | 78 | 46 | 32 | — | 92 | 1st in Canadian | Lost in Avco Cup Finals |
| QUE | 1975–76 | 81 | 50 | 27 | 4 | 104 | 2nd in Canadian | Lost in Quarterfinals |
| Total | 159 | 96 | 59 | 4 | 2 playoff appearances | |||