Tribute RIP Chris Simon

[CapsSkins]

Former Cap passed away at the too-young age of 52.

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[Empty Goal Net]

Stanley Cup-winning winger Simon dead at 52​

Chris Simon - Dave Sandford/HHOF Images


TSN.ca Staff
Published Mar 19, 2024 at 03:56 PM ET
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Stanley Cup-winning winger Chris Simon has died at the age of 52, the NHL Players' Association confirmed on Tuesday.
A native of Wawa, Ont., Simon spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League and was a member of the Colorado Avalanche’s 1996 championship team.
Former teammate and Avalanche president Joe Sakic issued a statement later on Tuesday.

"Chris was a great guy, a beloved teammate and an important part of our first championship season," Sakic said. "He was a really good hockey player who could score goals, was a big presence in the dressing room and was the first person to stand up and defend his teammates. Off the ice he was an unbelievable guy and a
caring father, son, brother and friend. He will be sorely missed."
Originally taken with the 25th overall selection of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft out of the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s by the Philadelphia Flyers, Simon was sent to the Quebec Nordiques as part of the famous trade that saw Eric Lindros head to Philadelphia.
He amassed 1,824 penalty minutes in 782 career games.
Simon was suspended eight times over the course of his career for a total of 65 games, including two of the longest in NHL history. In March of 2007, Simon was handed a 25-game suspension as a member of the New York Islanders for a cross-check to the face of New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg. Then in December of the same year, Simon was banned for 30 games for stomping on the leg of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu.
For his career, Simon had 144 goals and 161 assists in 782 games with the Nordiques/Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Calgary Flames, Islanders and Minnesota Wild.
At the conclusion of his NHL career, Simon spent five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League and was named an All-Star on two occasions.

TSN

The hockey world was dealt another blow on Tuesday when news broke that former Flame, Capital, Nordique, Blackhawk, Ranger, Islander, member of the Wild, and Wawa Flyer, among others; Chris Simon, has died by reported suicide. His ancestry extends back to the Ojibwa people, and he was a role model for Canadian kids across the country.

Calgary Hockey Now

It was a bit of a shock way back when, when the Caps PR people decided Simon would be the star of the season's marketing campaign. I guess Abe or Patrick or GMGM was pissed at Bondra.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

 

[TheSmokingMan]

Wow, sad news. Had some pretty good memories of him as a Cap. Makes you wonder if this had anything to do with CTE.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Caps legend!

 

[Random schmoe]

(Also on YT with an ad at 8Qt-QXs8XbM)

 

[marcel snapshot]

That's a tough read. That one year when he scored 29 playing with Oates showed that he had more dimensions as a player than he was given credit for. And I remember this goal he scored playing with Dale and Berube in the finals Game 2 vs. Detroit:

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Omg so sad…..RIP…..was a warrior….

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Terrible.

 

[VaCaps Fan]

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

When I first moved to the area, I was like 16 and did the DC 101 promotion Simon soldiers with Elliot in the morning we all shaved our head and got a free bus ticket and game to the caps versus hurricanes in NC

The bus was a little wild for a 16-year-old. Everyone was drinking beers and watching hockey movies and porn on the bus screen.

This is when I became a die hard caps fan

RIP Chris Simon

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Do you think the caps will honor him or the crazy stunts he pulled after the lockout prevent that?

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

This one hurts. 52 is too young. Loved watching him open up space on the ice and whip an incredible wrist shot.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Classy shout out by caps.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

He was from before my time as a Caps fan, but you just know the guy was a legend with hair like that and with that kind of grit/fighting ability.

RIP Mr. Simon

 

[VaCaps Fan]

All the anti-fighting maniacs ( if you don’t like fighting it’s fine) are having a field day trashing the guy who they think was the poster child of “bad pre lockout nhl hockey”

 

[Calicaps]

Well f***. A legend of the best era of Caps hockey before Ovechkin. Gone way, WAY too soon. RIP

And exactly my age.

 

[g00n]

Obviously one of my favorites from that era or any other.

RIP, tough guy

TSN


Calgary Hockey Now

It was a bit of a shock way back when, when the Caps PR people decided Simon would be the star of the season's marketing campaign. I guess Abe or Patrick or GMGM was pissed at Bondra.

Weird that the quote you posted says "suicide" but the link for it doesn't mention that. Haven't seen anything listing cause of death yet.

 

[arlcapsfan]

Heartbreaking…..RIP Chris. I loved the way you played hockey.

 

[Eirikrautha]

Damn. Before the Ovie era Bondra, Simon, Hunter, et al. were the pinnacle of Caps hockey. So sad.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Weird that the quote you posted says "suicide" but the link for it doesn't mention that. Haven't seen anything listing cause of death yet.

I hadn't clicked the link but of course you are correct. I wonder whether suicide was mentioned in an earlier version of the story, since the version online now has a Mar 19 2024, 3:48 pm dateline which if it's local Calgary time would've been after my post.

 

[kicksavedave]

f***, I'm sad.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Oh Damn. RIP Mr Simon. One of my favorite Caps.

 

[usiel]

This sucks... RIP.