Wayne Simmonds to end career as a Flyer — signs one-day contract
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After 15 seasons in the NHL, the Wayne train is making one final stop.
Wayne Simmonds is calling it a career as he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Philadelphia Flyer Monday morning.
The Flyers will honor the 35-year-old prior to their game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, April 13.
Simmonds spent the majority of his career in Philly, building the franchise’s core through an up-and-down 2010s with Claude Giroux and Jakub Voráček.
His arrival in the summer of 2011 marked a major turn for the organization, as he was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings with Brayden Schenn in the trade that sent then-captain Mike Richards across the country, along with Jeff Carter getting sent to Columbus for a young Voracek and a first-round pick that became Sean Couturier.
The Flyers were rebuilt that summer with Giroux as the new face of the Flyers, but Simmonds brought a power-forward style that resulted in tons of attacks and tons of goals.
Simmer’s tenure in Philadelphia was eight years including 203 goals, 91 power-play goals (seventh in Flyers history), and 378 points over 584 games. From 2015-17, he posted back-to-back seasons of 30-plus goals and earned a 2017 All-Star MVP. Not was he just a goal-scorer, he was a fighter, too.
One of his brightest moments was in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he recorded a hat-trick to force a Game 7 against the New York Rangers.
Simmonds perfectly matched the identity of what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer, and he became a fan favorite for it.
“It’s hard to describe my emotions on a day like this, but one of my very first thoughts as I look back is my life in Philadelphia and playing for the Flyers,” Simmonds said in a press release. “Taking the ice in a Flyers sweater is a special feeling and it’s one that I’m truly proud of. The history of this franchise and standard of being a Flyer that was set is unique and one that I hold in the highest regard. Perhaps the biggest reason for that is the way the fans embrace this team.
“It was a thrill to play for you all these years, and you mean so much to me. I’d like to thank Dan Hilferty, Keith Jones, and Daniel Brière for making this a special day and the fans for all their support throughout the years for me and my family.”
Off the ice, Simmonds was on the board of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation while he was here, taking part in charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and March of Dimes, and reserving a suite at the Wells Fargo Center for local military members through his old “Wayne’s Warriors.”
In 2019, Simmonds won the NHL’s Mark Messier Leadership Award as the player who demonstrated great leadership qualities for his team on and off the ice, all while taking a leading role in his community to grow the sport.
At the 2018-19 trade deadline with the Flyers’ season pretty much down the drain and with Simmonds on an expiring contract, he was dealt to the the Nashville Predators a couple of days later.
His final game came against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field. He went out the best way he could, starting a brawl after a major hit on Brian Dumoulin.
After that, Simmonds spent time with the New Jersey Devils and then the Buffalo Sabres before signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020 offseason, where he held a depth role behind their stars for several seasons.
He has not touched the ice since last April.
While he may not be a Hall of Famer or a number the Flyers may retire, he still will forever hold a special place in the Flyers and fans’ hearts.
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