Chris Simon

Christopher J. Simon (born January 30, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, who played 20 seasons of ice hockey: 15 seasons in the NHL and 5 seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. He last played for Metallurg Novokuznetsk of the KHL. During his NHL career, Simon's suspensions for disciplinary reasons totaled 65 games.

This article is about the Canadian hockey player. For the American biologist, see Chris Simon (biologist).
Chris Simon
Simon with the Calgary Flames during the 2005-06 season
Born (1972-01-30) January 30, 1972
Wawa, Ontario, Canada
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
NHL Draft 25th overall, 1990
Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career 1992–2013

Playing career

Simon grew up in Wawa, Ontario playing his minor hockey for the Wawa Flyers of the NOHA. As a Bantam, he played Jr.B. hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds of the NOJHL in 1987-88. He was selected in the 3rd round (42nd overall) of the 1988 OHL Priority Selection by the Ottawa 67's.

Simon was drafted in the 2nd round (25th overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, but was traded as part of the Eric Lindros trade to the Quebec Nordiques before playing any games for the Flyers. He has also played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers where he split the season as a left wing and right wing, New York Islanders and Minnesota Wild.

In 1996, he won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. Each player on the winning team is given 24 hours alone with the Cup. Simon took it to his hometown of Wawa, Ontario. After showing it to the townspeople he and his maternal grandfather took the Cup on a fishing trip.

Simon was a member of the Washington Capitals when they went to the Stanley Cup finals in 1998. He had been enjoying great offensive success that season until a shoulder injury knocked him out for much of the playoff run. He underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December 1998. He was the team's leading goal scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 29 goals in 75 games. He also made it to the Stanley Cup finals with the Calgary Flames in 2004, and played for the Flames for two seasons before being signed as a free agent in 2006 by the New York Islanders and was then traded to the Minnesota Wild for a 6th round draft pick.

Chris Simon is of Ojibwa descent, and was born in Wawa, Ontario.[1] Chris Simon is seen as a role model to Native Canadians for his accomplishments in the NHL.

Suspensions

Simon was involved in numerous on-ice incidents and has been suspended eight times for his conduct for a grand total of 65 games.[2][3]

Mike Grier incident

On November 8, 1997, during a game against the Edmonton Oilers, Simon was suspended three games for using his stick to hit Edmonton's Mike Grier.[3][4] Grier allegedly made derogatory comments about Simon's Ojibwa heritage,[5] and Simon allegedly responded with a racial slur (supposedly calling Grier who is black a "nigger") before hitting Grier, although the spoken words between the two players were never confirmed.[6] Simon flew to Toronto to apologize to Grier.[7] Grier and Simon were later teammates for a brief time in 2002 with the Washington Capitals.

Simon during his final season with Metallurg Novokuznetsk in 2013.

Ryan Hollweg incident

On March 8, 2007, the Islanders faced the rival New York Rangers, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. At 13:25 of the third period,[8] Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg checked Simon from (what Simon felt was) behind, knocking him face first into the boards, and giving Simon a concussion. No penalty was assessed, and play continued. Simon then took a two-handed baseball swing in the face of Ryan Hollweg with his hockey stick as he skated by. Simon received a match penalty for attempt to injure, resulting in his ejection from the game. Hollweg suffered a cut to the chin that required two stitches.[9] According to ESPN's Barry Melrose, Hollweg escaped serious injury because Simon's blow caught his shoulder pads before hitting his face.

Simon was automatically suspended indefinitely by the NHL due to his match penalty pending ruling by the league commissioner. On March 11, Simon's suspension was set at a minimum of 25 games,[10] and it continued into the first five games of the 2007-08 season. The Nassau County district attorney considered filing criminal charges against Simon, but declined. Hollweg later told Newsday that he was not interested in pressing charges.[11]

On March 10, Simon issued a statement in which he apologized to Hollweg and the league and said that there is "absolutely no place in hockey" for what he did. He asserted that he did not remember much about the incident because he was "completely out of it" as a result of the concussion.[12]

Jarkko Ruutu incident

On December 15, 2007, at 14:06 of the third period of a home game against Pittsburgh, Tim Jackman and Jarkko Ruutu exchanged words between the teams' benches during a stoppage of play. Simon skated in behind Ruutu and pulled Ruutu's leg back with his own. When Ruutu fell to his knees, Simon stomped on the back of Ruutu's right leg with his skate and then went to the bench. Simon was given a match penalty for attempt to injure and ejected from the game.

The following Monday, Simon agreed to go on indefinite paid leave from the team, saying there was "no excuse" for his actions and that he needed some time away from hockey.[13] However, the next day, Simon was suspended without pay for 30 games, the third-longest suspension for an on-ice incident in modern NHL history behind a 41-game suspension to Raffi Torres in 2015 and a one-year suspension handed down to Marty McSorley in 2000 (though McSorley only sat out 23 games before his contract expired and he left the NHL). League disciplinarian Colin Campbell said that in his opinion, Simon had "repeatedly evidence(d) the lack of ability to control his actions," and also stressed that this was his eighth disciplinary hearing.[14] Following the suspension, Simon returned to play one more game with the New York Islanders before being traded to the Minnesota Wild.

When Chris Pronger was not initially disciplined by the NHL when he stomped on Ryan Kesler's leg in March 2008, Simon decried what he saw as unfair and unequal treatment.[15] On March 15, 2008, the NHL suspended Pronger for 8 games.

Minor incidents

Simon was suspended for one game in a 2000 playoff series against Pittsburgh for cross checking Peter Popovic across the throat on April 13, 2000. He was given two-game suspensions once on April 5, 2001 for elbowing Anders Eriksson, and twice in 2004 for cross checking Tampa Bay's Ruslan Fedotenko and then jumping on and punching him, and for kneeing Dallas's Sergei Zubov.[3]

Personal life

His father, John, is of Ojibwe descent from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. As a teenager, he struggled with an addiction to alcohol but was helped to sobriety by future Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders coach Ted Nolan in 1992.[16][17]

Simon was previously married to Lauri Smith. The two divorced and he has four children with his second wife Valerie.[18] In 2017, Simon filed for bankruptcy and claimed he is unable to work due to his hockey injuries.[18]

Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs
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 782 144 161 305 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 (Colorado Avalanche) 1996 [19]
KHL
Most Penalized Player (263 PIM) 2009
All-Star Game 2010, 2011

Transactions

References
  1. "Simon's 'tomahawk' chop revives native stereotypes, but the NHL is to blame". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  2. No doubt Simon will be suspended
  3. Simon suspended for hitting player with stick
  4. Ross, Sherry (15 February 1998). "The Icebreaker O'Ree Gets NHL Due 40 Years after Debut". New York Daily News. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
  5. "Chris Pronger: A Lame Duck Suspension".
  6. "Mike Grier, First American Born Black NHL Player".
  7. "Simon Extends Apology For Slur". Observer-Reporter. 12 November 1997. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  8. NHL.com. "NHL On-line Report - New York Rangers at New York Islanders, March 8, 2007". Retrieved 2007-03-08.
  9. Greg Logan, Steve Zipay. "Simon Faces His Fate". Retrieved 2007-03-10.
  10. TSN.ca. "Simon suspended for season and playoffs". Archived from the original on 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  11. Newsday.com. "Hollweg not interested in prosecuting Simon". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
  12. "Simon releases statement about hit on Hollweg". ESPN.com. 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  13. "Facing another suspension, Simon benched by Islanders". 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  14. "Islanders Simon suspended for 30 games". 2007-12-19. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  15. "Simon stompin' mad on Pronger call". Toronto Star. Associated Press. 2008-03-15.
  16. Scanlan, Wayne (March 10, 2007). "Simon Strikes Again". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  17. "Simon to receive counseling; team says drugs, alcohol not involved". espn.com. December 19, 2007. Retrieved July 17, 2018. upset Islanders coach Ted Nolan, who coached Simon in junior hockey when Simon dealt with problems related to alcohol.
  18. Seymour, Andrew (May 30, 2017). "Ex-NHL enforcer Chris Simon files for bankruptcy, court documents say he's broke". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  19. "After 104 minutes, Colorado wins the Stanley Cup". The New York Times. 1996-06-11. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  20. "Dynamo Moscow release Satan, Strbak, and Chris Simon | Sports.ru in English".
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