Simon Gagné

Gagné was 16 when he broke into the QMJHL as a member of the Beauport Harfangs during the 1996–97 season. Playing mostly on the third and fourth lines, Gagné finished with 31 points (9 goals and 22 assists) in 51 games. The following two seasons, he would play with the Quebec Remparts, totalling 189 points (80 goals and 109 assists) in 114 games, including a 120-point season in 1998–99. That year, he finished sixth in league scoring, was named to the QMJHL Second All-Star Team and was awarded the Paul Dumont Trophy as the "personality of the year". Gagné also recorded 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 25 career playoff matches with the Remparts. After the 1998–99 season, Gagné graduated to the pro ranks, and the Remparts retired Gagné's #12 jersey during a ceremony early on in the 1999–2000 season. Gagné joined Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur as the only two players that have had their jerseys retired by the Quebec Remparts (Alexander Radulov's number has also since been retired by the Remparts).[2]

Gagné was drafted 22nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and made the Flyers out of training camp prior to the 1999–2000 season. His rookie season saw him play primarily at centre and score 20 goals and 28 assists in 80 games, good enough to be named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He contributed 5 goals and 5 assists in 17 games during the playoffs before the Flyers lost in seven games to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The following season, Gagné was converted from centre to wing. Playing on a line with Mark Recchi and Keith Primeau in the 2000–01 season, Gagné scored 27 goals and 32 assists in 69 games and took part in his first NHL All-Star Game. During the All-Star Game, he scored two goals including the game-winning goal for the North American team. 2001–02 saw him score 33 goals and tally a career high 33 assists in 79 games. A nagging groin injury limited Gagné to 46 games and career lows in goals, assists and points in 2002–03. The next season, Gagné recorded 24 goals and 21 assists in 80 games. He also scored an important overtime goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.[3] However, the Flyers were eliminated in Game 7.

Once the 2004–05 NHL lockout came to an end, Gagné assumed a greater role on the Flyers and played most of the year as the left winger on the top line with Peter Forsberg and Mike Knuble. The line became known as the "Deuces Wild" line due to their numbers (12 [Gagné], 21 [Forsberg] and 22 [Knuble]) and Gagné responded with his best season as a pro with 47 goals and 79 points in 72 games. He was awarded the Bobby Clarke Trophy, which is awarded to the Flyers Team MVP. In the off-season, Gagné signed a five-year contract extension worth over $25 million. Despite not having Forsberg as his centre for much of the 2006–07 season due to injury and Forsberg's eventual trade to the Nashville Predators, Gagné scored 41 goals and 27 assists in 76 games and won his second consecutive Bobby Clarke Trophy. He also played in his second NHL All-Star Game.

In the 2007–08 season, Gagné recorded 18 points in 25 games before being shut down for the year on February 20 after being told to sit out by doctors. Although it was believed Gagné had suffered three concussions in five months, he was told by doctors that he only had one and further injuries re-aggravated the symptoms. He suffered the initial concussion on October 25, 2007, when he was hit in the jaw with a check from Florida Panthers defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. Gagné sat out four games and returned only to be hurt again on November 7. After missing the next 26 games, he was re-injured on his first shift back on February 10, 2008, against the Pittsburgh Penguins.[4] Gagné follows after several previous Flyers player who have suffered serious concussions. Former captain Keith Primeau had his career ended prematurely due to concussions suffered while playing in Philadelphia, while Jeremy Roenick nearly retired after suffering one himself.[5]

Gagné with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010.

Gagné had a strong return in the 2008–09 season, scoring 34 goals, 74 points and posting a +21 in 79 games. However, injury troubles persisted in 2009–10. Less than a month into the season, he was placed on the injured reserve after being diagnosed with a double hernia in his groin in late-October 2009. Although the Flyers' orthopedic surgeon recommended surgery, Gagné opted for a second opinion with his personal doctor in Montreal.[6] Soon after, Gagné opted for surgery, which was performed on November 3. The surgery repaired the two small hernias in his right groin laparoscopically through his belly button, while reinforcing his rectus abdominis on both sides. Gagné returned to action on December 19 against the New York Rangers after missing 24 games.[7] He scored his third career hat trick and first career natural hat-trick just 11 days after returning from injury against the Rangers, December 30, 2009.[8] He finished the season with 40 points in 58 games. After defeating the second-seeded New Jersey Devils in the opening round of the 2010 playoffs, in which Gagné was injured, the Flyers met the Boston Bruins in the second round. After going down three games to none in the series without Gagné, Gagné returned for Game 4, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime, then scoring two goals in Game 5. After the Flyers became just the sixth team to force a Game 7 after being down three games to none, Gagné scored the series-winning goal in the third period of Game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Flyers became the third team in NHL history to come back from a three games to none deficit in a series and win.[9]

On July 19, 2010, Gagné was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Matt Walker and a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[10] He recorded 17 goals with 23 assists for the Lightning that year, to go with another five goals in the 2011 playoffs.

After just one season in Tampa Bay, Gagné became an unrestricted free agent. On July 2, 2011, he signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings.[11] He scored his first goal as a Kings player on October 13, 2011, against Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. During the regular season, he appeared in 34 games and scored 10 goals with 17 points overall. On June 11, 2012, he won the Stanley Cup over the Devils, along with former Flyers teammates Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. During the Kings' playoff run, he appeared in four games but did not record a point. During the off-season, he underwent surgery to remove a 5 cm mass from his neck which had been causing him chronic pain.[12]

Gagné with the Boston Bruins in 2014.

In the following 2012–13 lockout-shortened season, Gagné sparingly appeared in 11 games with the Kings before on February 26, 2013, he was traded back to Philadelphia in exchange for a conditional fourth-round draft pick.[13] He appeared in his return to Philadelphia the following night at the Wells Fargo Center, February 27, 2013, against the Washington Capitals. In his first game back, Gagné registered his first goal of the season on a power play, assisted by Brayden Schenn and Daniel Brière, ending a 32-game goalless streak, the longest of his professional career.[14]

After a year hiatus from professional hockey, Gagné signed a professional try-out contract with the Boston Bruins.[15] After a successful training camp, Gagné was signed to a one-year contract with them on October 14, 2014.[16] After scoring 3 goals in 23 games, it was announced on January 12, 2015, that Gagné would not return to the Bruins in the 2014–15 season after his father's death in December 2014.[17] In a possible signal of the end of his professional career, Gagné's contract was terminated by the Bruins on January 29, 2015.[18] On September 15, 2015, Gagné announced his retirement from professional hockey.[19]