Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has passed away at the age of 52. The NHL Players’ Association confirmed the news after speaking with Simon’s family, but stopped short of providing a cause of death.
With 1,824 penalty minutes across 782 games, Simon was one of the most feared enforcers of his time. With stints with the Nordiques, Avalanche, Capitals, Blackhawks, Rangers, Flamers, Islanders and Wild, the 6’3″ forward was well travelled to say the least.
“Chris was never afraid to stand up for his teammates, and played a key role in the dressing room. He was a beloved friend, father, brother, and son,” the NHL Alumni group said via a social media post Tuesday. “We send our deepest condolences to Chris’ family, friends, and former teammates during this very difficult time. The family has asked to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”
A Stanley Cup winner with the Avalanche during the 1995-96 campaign, Simon was also involved in outreach work to First Nations groups, as he was of Ojibwa heritage himself.
“The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Chris Simon, who played in more than 800 NHL games over 15 seasons. A fierce competitor and teammate, Simon won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996 and reached the 1998 Stanley Cup final with Washington as well as the 2004 Stanley Cup final with Calgary,” the league’s statement read.
“Our sincere condolences go out to his family, friends and former teammates.”
Simon’s career wasn’t without controversy as the NHL suspended the Wawa, ON native 8 times throughout his career, including a 30, and a 25 game suspension for separate incidents in 2007. That would prove to be his last year in the NHL as he would go on to join the KHL with Chekhov Vityaz for the 2008-09 campaign.
Simon’s family is requesting privacy during this difficult period.
Photo: James Teterenko. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.