Chris Simon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chris Simon |
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Simon with the Calgary Flames in 2005
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| Born | January 30, 1972 Wawa, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | March 18, 2024 (aged 52) Wawa, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 232 lb (105 kg; 16 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Quebec Nordiques Colorado Avalanche Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks New York Rangers Calgary Flames New York Islanders Minnesota Wild Vityaz Chekhov UHC Dynamo Metallurg Novokuznetsk |
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| NHL Draft | 25th overall, 1990 Philadelphia Flyers |
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| Playing career | 1992–2013 | ||
Chris Simon (born January 30, 1972 – died March 18, 2024) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Chris was known for his tough and physical style of play.
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Playing Career Highlights
Chris Simon grew up in Wawa, Ontario, where he played minor hockey. He was chosen by the Ottawa 67's in the 1988 OHL Priority Selection. During his junior hockey years, he sometimes faced suspensions for incidents involving his stick.
Simon was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1990. However, he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques before he played any games for the Flyers. This trade was part of a big deal involving another famous player, Eric Lindros.
Chris Simon played for many NHL teams. These included the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Minnesota Wild.
Winning the Stanley Cup
In 1996, Chris Simon achieved a huge dream for any hockey player. He won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche! Each player on the winning team gets to spend 24 hours alone with the Cup. Simon took it to his hometown of Wawa, Ontario. After showing it to everyone in town, he and his grandfather took the Cup on a fishing trip. This was a very special way to celebrate.
Simon also played in the Stanley Cup finals with the Washington Capitals in 1998. He had a great season that year, scoring many goals. Later, he reached the finals again with the Calgary Flames in 2004. He was the leading goal scorer for the Capitals in the 1999–2000 season, with 29 goals.
His Heritage
Chris Simon was of Ojibwa descent. He was born in Wawa, Ontario, which is in Canada. Many people saw him as a role model for Native Canadians because of his success in the NHL.
On-Ice Incidents and Suspensions
Chris Simon was known for his physical play, which sometimes led to trouble on the ice. He was suspended eight times by the NHL during his career. These suspensions added up to a total of 65 games.
Mike Grier Incident
In 1997, during a game against the Edmonton Oilers, Simon was suspended for three games. This was for hitting Edmonton's Mike Grier with his stick. Simon later flew to Toronto to apologize to Grier, who accepted his apology. They even became teammates for a short time in 2002.
Ryan Hollweg Incident
On March 8, 2007, the New York Islanders played against their rivals, the New York Rangers. During the game, Rangers player Ryan Hollweg hit Simon hard into the boards. This caused Simon to get a concussion. Simon then reacted by swinging his stick at Hollweg.
Simon was immediately suspended by the NHL for this action. He later apologized to Hollweg and the league. He said that what he did had "absolutely no place in hockey." He also explained that he didn't remember much about the incident because of his concussion. He was suspended for the rest of that season and the start of the next.
Jarkko Ruutu Incident
In December 2007, during a game against Pittsburgh, Simon was involved in another incident. He pulled Jarkko Ruutu's leg, causing him to fall. Simon then stepped on Ruutu's leg with his skate. The referee saw this and gave Simon a penalty.
Simon was suspended for 30 games for this incident. This was one of the longest suspensions for an on-ice event in modern NHL history. The league said that Simon had "repeatedly evidence(d) the lack of ability to control his actions." They also noted it was his eighth time facing a disciplinary hearing.
Other Incidents
Simon also received other suspensions during his career. These included a one-game suspension in 2000 for cross-checking a player. He also got two-game suspensions in 2001 for elbowing, and in 2004 for cross-checking and kneeing other players.
Personal Life and Passing
Chris Simon's father, John, was of Ojibwe descent. He came from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation.
Chris Simon had four children with his second wife, Valerie. They later divorced in 2017.
In 2017, Simon faced financial difficulties. A doctor shared that Simon had symptoms of a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This condition is believed to be linked to brain injuries from playing hockey. The doctor also said Simon suffered from depression, anxiety, and arthritis.
Chris Simon passed away on March 18, 2024, at the age of 52. He died in his hometown of Wawa, Ontario.
Career Statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1988–89 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 36 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 57 | 36 | 38 | 74 | 146 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1990–91 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 20 | 16 | 6 | 22 | 69 | 17 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 59 | ||
| 1991–92 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 31 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 143 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 49 | ||
| 1992–93 | Halifax Citadels | AHL | 36 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 131 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 16 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 67 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | ||
| 1993–94 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 37 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 132 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 29 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 106 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 19 | ||
| 1995–96 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 64 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 250 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | ||
| 1996–97 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 42 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 165 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 28 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 38 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26 | ||
| 1998–99 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 23 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 75 | 29 | 20 | 49 | 146 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 24 | ||
| 2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 60 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 109 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2001–02 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 82 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 137 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 61 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 225 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 13 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 74 | ||
| 2005–06 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 72 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 94 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 2006–07 | New York Islanders | NHL | 67 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | New York Islanders | NHL | 28 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | Vityaz Chekhov | KHL | 40 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 263 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Vityaz Chekhov | KHL | 30 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Vityaz Chekhov | KHL | 43 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | UHC Dynamo | KHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 18 | ||
| 2011–12 | Metallurg Novokuznetsk | KHL | 24 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Metallurg Novokuznetsk | KHL | 28 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 864 | 144 | 161 | 305 | 1824 | 75 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 191 | ||||
| KHL totals | 168 | 41 | 46 | 87 | 553 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 18 | ||||
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup champion (Colorado Avalanche) | 1996 | |
| KHL | ||
| Most Penalized Player (263 PIM) | 2009 | |
| All-Star Game | 2010, 2011 | |
Images for kids
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Simon during his final season with Metallurg Novokuznetsk in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Chris Simon para niños
