Christopher J. Simon (January 30, 1972 - March 18, 2024) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). This article delves into the career of Christopher J. Simon, a Canadian professional ice hockey player, highlighting his journey through the NHL and KHL.
Chris Simon during his NHL career.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
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. Simon was selected in the third round (42nd overall) of the 1988 OHL Priority Selection by the Ottawa 67's. As a teen, he fought addictions and served an eight-game suspension for a stick-swinging incident while on the 67's.
NHL Career
Known for his physical style of play and enforcer role, Simon played over 15 seasons in the NHL with teams including the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, and Minnesota Wild.
He was part of the 1996 Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche team. Each player on the winning team is given 24 hours alone with the Cup. Simon took it to his hometown of Wawa, Ontario.
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The Stanley Cup.
Simon was a member of the Washington Capitals when they went to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. He had been enjoying great offensive success that season until a shoulder injury knocked him out for much of the playoff run. Simon 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.
Simon 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.
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Controversies and Suspensions
Simon was also known for his aggressive play, receiving eight suspensions throughout his NHL career, totaling 65 games.
On March 8, 2007, the Islanders faced their rival, the New York Rangers, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. At 13:25 of the third period, 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.
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Simon was automatically suspended indefinitely by the NHL due to his match penalty pending ruling by the league commissioner Gary Bettman and disciplinarian Colin Campbell. On March 11, he was suspended for the rest of the season, including playoffs, with a minimum of 25 games, and since the Islanders only played five playoff games, 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. 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.
On December 15, 2007, at 14:06 of the third period of a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, 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 stepped into the bench area. The incident was witnessed by referee Justin St.
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. 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).
Simon was suspended for one game during the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs for cross-checking Pittsburgh Penguins' Peter Popovic across the throat on April 13, 2000.
KHL Career
Simon played for five seasons in the KHL after his last season in the NHL in 2007-08. He played for three teams in the KHL, including Chekhov Vityaz (113 games from 2008-2011), Moscow Dynamo (9 games during the 2010-2011 season), and Novokuznetsk Metallurg (52 games from 2011-2013).
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In a total of 168 regular season games played, he attained 41 goals, 48 assists, 574 penalty minutes. He appeared once in the playoffs with Moscow Dynamo, playing six games, scoring two goals and earning 18 minutes of penalties. He retired from the KHL in 2013.
Personal Life
His father, John, is of Ojibwe descent from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island. Simon's first wife was Lauri Smith and they had a son. Later they divorced. In 2017, Simon filed for bankruptcy and claimed he was unable to work due to his hockey injuries. In the filing, a doctor testified that Simon had symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) which were believed to be attributed to significant brain trauma during his hockey career.
Chris Simon's NHL Career Stats:
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Quebec Nordiques | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993-94 | Quebec Nordiques | 64 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 132 |
| 1994-95 | Quebec Nordiques | 48 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 149 |
| 1995-96 | Colorado Avalanche | 71 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 225 |
| 1996-97 | Washington Capitals | 77 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 235 |
| 1997-98 | Washington Capitals | 64 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 168 |
| 1998-99 | Washington Capitals | 55 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 144 |
| 1999-00 | Washington Capitals | 75 | 29 | 20 | 49 | 169 |
| 2000-01 | Washington Capitals | 76 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 175 |
| 2001-02 | Chicago Blackhawks | 61 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 155 |
| 2002-03 | New York Rangers | 62 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 194 |
| 2002-03 | Washington Capitals | 16 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 29 |
| 2003-04 | Calgary Flames | 75 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 158 |
| 2005-06 | Calgary Flames | 66 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 128 |
| 2006-07 | New York Islanders | 67 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 124 |
| 2007-08 | Minnesota Wild | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Total | 922 | 144 | 125 | 269 | 2403 |