Who are Chris Simon's ex-wives? All we know about ex-NHL enforcer's partners Lauri and Valerie

Chris Simon was married twice during his lifetime. His first wife was Lauri Smith, with whom he had a son, but their marriage ended in divorce. Following their divorce, Simon entered into a second marriage with Valerie, with whom he had four more children. However, this marriage also ended in divorce in 2017.

Despite his four children being with his second wife, reports indicate that Simon's first wife accused him of evading child-support payments. Allegations in an affidavit suggested that he failed to disclose his income for several years as part of a court-ordered child-support agreement.

According to court records, Chris Simon's three children remained with Valerie, while his son from that marriage lived with him in Canada.

Chris Simon passed away on March 18, 2024, with the cause of death not disclosed. Throughout his NHL career, Simon gained attention for his tough playing style, resulting in eight suspensions totaling 65 games.

---

Chris Simon: A career defined by achievement and controversy

Chris Simon, a former NHL left winger, spe­nt most time with the Washington Capitals. His best se­ason was in 1999-2000, scoring 29 goals and 49 points. Over his whole caree­r, Simon played for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Range­rs, Calgary Flames, Islanders, and Minnesota Wild too.

He­ was scary on the ice, getting 1,824 pe­nalty minutes. Still, Simon earned 305 points across 864 NHL game­s.

Following his NHL tenure, Simon played five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia, where he earned two All-Star selections. However, his career was marred by multiple suspensions.

One significant incident occurred in March 2007 when he received a 25-game suspension from the New York Islanders for a cross-check to the face of Ryan Hollweg from the Rangers. Later that year, Simon was suspended for 30 games for stomping on the leg of Pittsburgh Penguins' winger Jarkko Ruutu.

Off the ice, Simon faced personal challenges, including bankruptcy in 2017, citing hockey-related injuries that prevented him from working. He claimed to suffer from symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), believed to be caused by severe brain injuries sustained during his hockey career.

Additionally, Simon reportedly battled arthritis, anxiety, melancholy, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as noted by a physician's testimony. Despite the controversies, Simon was remembered fondly by former teammates.

"Chris Simon was most definitely an intimidating guy on the ice," former teammate Mike Commodore posted on social media. "We spent a lot of time together during Flames '04 run since we were both living in the hotel. ... He couldn't have been nicer to me. RIP Chris. You will be missed."