Wayne Simmonds facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wayne Simmonds
Simmonds with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2012
Born	(1988-08-26) August 26, 1988 (age 36) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	184 lb (83 kg; 13 st 2 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Los Angeles Kings Philadelphia Flyers HC Bílí Tygři Liberec Nashville Predators New Jersey Devils Buffalo Sabres Toronto Maple Leafs
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	61st overall, 2007 Los Angeles Kings
Playing career	2008–2023

Wayne Simmonds (born August 26, 1988) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. He played as a right winger. He was part of the National Hockey League (NHL) for many teams. These teams included the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He played from 2008 to 2023. During a time when the NHL stopped playing (called a lockout) in 2012–13, Simmonds played in Europe. He played for teams like ETC Crimmitschau and HC Bílí Tygři Liberec. His teammates and fans often called him "Wayne Train".

Early Life and Hockey Dreams

Wayne Simmonds was born and grew up in Scarborough, a part of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was the third of four brothers and also had one sister. His parents were Cyril Simmonds and Wanda Mercury-Simmonds. His family came from North Preston, Nova Scotia. Even though he grew up near Toronto, Wayne was a big fan of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. His favorite player when he was young was Sergei Fedorov.

When Wayne was in third grade, he wrote a report for career day. He said he wanted to be a professional ice hockey player. His teacher didn't think it was possible, but Wayne didn't give up on his dream.

Wayne spent most of his early hockey career playing in Toronto. He played for teams like the Minor Midget Toronto Aces. Later, he joined the AAA level for the first time with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in 2004–05.

Wayne's Hockey Journey

Amateur Hockey Years

After Wayne was noticed at a hockey tournament in 2005, a coach named Mike McCourt signed him. Wayne joined the Brockville Braves team for the 2005–06 season. McCourt was the general manager and coach of the Braves.

Wayne was not chosen in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Draft at first. But two years later, when he was 18, the Owen Sound Attack picked him. He was the 114th player chosen in the 2006 OHL Priority Selection.

Wayne played two seasons in the OHL from 2006 to 2008. He played for the Owen Sound Attack and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He also played for Team Canada in the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. While playing with the Jr. Canadiens, Wayne became good friends with Chris Stewart. They even shared a house in Toronto during the off-season.

Professional Hockey Career

Playing for the Los Angeles Kings

Simmonds with the Los Angeles Kings in 2008

Wayne shoots with his right hand. The Los Angeles Kings chose him in the second round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 61st player picked overall. Wayne was one of three new players to join the Kings' team for the 2008–09 season. On October 14, 2008, in only his third NHL game, Wayne scored his first NHL goal. He scored it by hitting a rebound past the goalie, Jean-Sébastien Giguère. During his first season, Wayne became popular with L.A. fans. They liked him because he worked very hard both on and off the ice. He said his parents taught him to work hard.

In his second NHL season, Wayne wanted to score more points. He scored the most goals for the Kings in pre-season games that year. He ended up scoring 40 points in the 2009–10 regular season. This was almost double his points from the year before. He also had the best plus-minus rating on the team. He spent a lot of time helping the team stop other teams from scoring when they had a power play.

Joining the Philadelphia Flyers

On June 23, 2011, Wayne was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. He went with Brayden Schenn and a second-round draft pick. In return, the Kings got Mike Richards and Rob Bordson. Wayne then signed a two-year contract with the Flyers.

Simmonds during his first season with the Philadelphia Flyers in December 2011

On September 22, 2011, something upsetting happened during a pre-season game. It was in London, Ontario, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Flyers. Someone threw a banana onto the ice while Wayne was taking a shootout shot. Many people saw this as a hateful act. The next day, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman spoke about what happened. He said that the action by one person did not represent the fans or the people of London, Ontario. The person who threw the banana later admitted guilt and was fined.

Wayne achieved a Gordie Howe hat trick on February 11, 2012. This means he scored a goal, got an assist, and had a fight in one game. On March 30, 2012, against the Ottawa Senators, a puck hit Wayne's forehead and went into the net. Wayne was given credit for the goal.

On August 15, 2012, the Flyers signed Wayne to a six-year contract extension.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Wayne played in Europe. He played for ETC Crimmitschau in Germany and HC Bílí Tygři Liberec in the Czech Republic. In a game in the Czech Republic, some fans made rude noises and used a bad word towards Wayne. This happened after he was in a fight. The team quickly apologized to Wayne. They also said they would find the people involved and ban them from games. Eight fans were later identified and banned from sports matches for a year.

On February 20, 2013, Wayne got another Gordie Howe hat trick against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He scored a goal, an assist, and fought Tanner Glass. A few days later, on February 23, he got yet another Gordie Howe hat trick against the Winnipeg Jets. He fought Chris Thorburn, helped with the first goal, and scored the winning goal.

Wayne scored 29 goals and had 31 assists for a total of 60 points in the 2013–14 season. This was his best season for points. He matched this record in the 2015–16 season. Wayne was also known for playing physically. He led the Flyers in penalty minutes in 2015–16.

Wayne represented the Flyers in the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He scored three goals, including the winning goal in the final game.

During the entire 2017–18 season, Wayne played with many injuries. These included a torn pelvis area, a torn groin, a broken ankle, a torn thumb ligament, and a jaw injury. Even with all these injuries, Wayne still scored over 40 points that season. He was nominated for the Mark Messier Leadership Award at the end of the season. This award is for players who show great leadership.

Time with the Nashville Predators

On February 25, 2019, the Flyers traded Wayne to the Nashville Predators. They received Ryan Hartman and a draft pick in return. Wayne joined the Predators to help them with their power play and physical play. He had not scored a goal in 16 games before joining Nashville. This streak continued for another eight games. He finally scored in a 3–0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 20.

Wayne had one goal and two assists in 17 regular season games with Nashville. He then played in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. He left Game 2 of the first round after being hit in the knee by a shot from a teammate. Dallas won the series, and Nashville was eliminated. Between Philadelphia and Nashville, Wayne scored 17 goals and 30 points in 79 games. He also received the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2019. This award is given to a community leader both on and off the ice.

Playing for the New Jersey Devils

On July 1, 2019, the New Jersey Devils signed Wayne as a free agent. He signed a one-year contract for $5 million. Wayne played against his old team, the Philadelphia Flyers, for the first time on October 9, 2019. Flyers fans showed him a tribute video and cheered for him. However, he was later booed each time he touched the puck. This was because of a video where he said he would expect that from Philadelphia. The Flyers won the game 4–0. In 61 games with the Devils, Wayne scored eight goals and had 16 assists, totaling 24 points.

Short Stay with the Buffalo Sabres

By February 24, 2020, the Devils could no longer make it to the playoffs. So, Wayne was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres gave up a draft pick in return. Wayne played only seven games with Buffalo before the season was stopped. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12. In those games, Wayne had only one assist. When the NHL announced its plan to restart the playoffs, the Sabres were not one of the teams invited to play.

Joining the Toronto Maple Leafs

Wayne wanted to stay with Buffalo, but he was allowed to talk to other NHL teams. On October 9, 2020, he signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He signed with his hometown team just minutes after the market opened. He even turned down a better offer from the Montreal Canadiens to play for Toronto.

Wayne started the 2020–21 season well. He scored five goals in his first 12 games. He played on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. But on February 6, he broke his wrist in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. Wayne started skating with the team again in March. He was careful about returning to games, worried he might hurt his wrist again. After missing 18 games, Wayne returned on March 19. He played in a game against the Calgary Flames. He started playing on a lower line with Pierre Engvall and Ilya Mikheyev. He scored his first goal after his injury on April 6.

Wayne's scoring power did not fully return after his injury. He scored only one goal in his last 14 regular season games. Toronto made it to the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. They led their series against Montreal 3–1, but then lost three games in a row. They lost the series 4–3.

Wayne signed a new two-year contract with Toronto on June 29, 2021. On March 5, 2022, Wayne played his 1,000th NHL game. This happened on the same day as Seattle Kraken player Mark Giordano's 1,000th game. Giordano later became his teammate. On May 4, Wayne was chosen as the Maple Leafs' nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is for leadership on and off the ice.

In the 2022–23 season, Wayne played only 18 games for Toronto. He was often not chosen to play. He was also put on waivers several times and sent to the AHL team, the Toronto Marlies. Injuries limited his ability to play. At the end of the season, Wayne became a free agent.

Retirement from Hockey

On March 18, 2024, Wayne Simmonds announced that he was retiring from professional ice hockey. He had said in January that his career was over. On April 12, he signed a special one-day contract. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Simmonds with the Kings in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Silver	2017 Germany/France
World Junior Championships
Gold	2008 Czech Republic

International Games

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008	Canada	WJC			7	1	0	1	4
2013	Canada	WC	5th		8	1	0	1	2
2017	Canada	WC			10	0	2	2	4
Junior totals					7	1	0	1	4
Senior totals					18	1	2	3	6

Awards and Honors