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Wayne Simmonds, the formidable forward known for his physical, goal-scoring dynamo, officially ended his NHL career by signing a one-day contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Simmonds inked the deal as his wife and children witnessed the moment. The club honored Simmonds, who scored 203 goals across eight seasons with the orange and black. Flyers GM, as cited by CBS News, said,
"Well, I want to say, this is probably the easiest negotiation I could make."
The 35-year-old played in 1,037 games, registering 263 goals and 263 assists for 526 points across 15 seasons. He was a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2007.
After landing in Philly in 2011, Wayne Simmonds found a permanent home, notching back-to-back 30-goal seasons, and six 20-goal campaigns before being moved to the Nashville Predators in 2019.
The Scarborough, Ontario native signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs following the 2019-2020 season, hoping to add grit and veteran leadership to the Leafs' then-young core.
However, Simmonds’ role gradually diminished with Toronto. After playing in 72 games in 2021-2022, Simmonds played in only 18 contests in 2022-2023. Years of rough-and-tumble hockey had taken their toll on Simmonds’ body, prompting him to hang up his skates for good.
Simmonds remained unsigned after Toronto allowed him to walk. When teams showed little interest in signing him, Simmonds announced his retirement. During his announcement in March of this year, Simmonds declared his intention to retire as a Philadelphia Flyer.
His decision stems from the deep connection he formed during the time he spent with the team. As per NHL.com, he said,
“I started my journey as a young kid from Scarborough [Ontario] and finished playing for the [Toronto] Maple Leafs. But in between there, I wore the orange and black and I had the greatest eight years of my life in this city. And there's no other way I'd want to go out other than to be remembered as a Flyer"
He declared on the team's official Instagram page:
"Wouldn’t have it any other way."
April 13th, 2024, was Wayne Simmonds Retirement Night.
Wayne Simmonds Is a Part of History
Originally drafted by the Kings, the Flyers landed Simmonds as part of the return in the three-way trade that sent Mike Richards to the Kings and Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Simmonds registered a career-high of 32 goals in the 2015-2016 season.
He would also go on to become part of NHL history. Simmonds represented the Flyers in the 2017 All-Star game, where his hat trick earned him the All-Star game MVP honors, making him only the second African American player to land the honor.
His passion led him to become a founding member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance. The organization was launched in 2020 and aims to eradicate racism while promoting inclusivity and diversity in hockey.
Wayne Simmonds will be fondly remembered by fans, not just in Philadelphia, but everywhere he played.
As CBS Philadelphia noted earlier this year:
"Simmonds’ blend of physicality and skill endured him to Flyers fans."
Indeed, Simmonds’ toughness, skill, personality, and commitment to hockey have left an indelible mark on hockey fans.
