Chris Simon

Lore & Background

Simon grew up in Wawa, Ontario, playing minor hockey for the Wawa Flyers. He was selected in the third round of the 1988 OHL Priority Selection by the Ottawa 67's. As a teen, he fought addictions and served an eight-game suspension for a stick-swinging incident while on the 67's. He later became sober and counselled indigenous youth on the dangers of alcohol, stating he would not have made it in the NHL if he had not quit drinking. During the 1990–91 OHL season, he served a 12-game suspension for slashing David Babcock in the face, breaking seven teeth and opening a gash requiring 21 stitches. The following season, he was suspended eight times for a total of 34 games, on two occasions by his own team.

Simon was drafted in the second round (25th overall) of the 1990 NHL entry draft by the Philadelphia Flyers but was traded as part of the Eric Lindros trade to the Quebec Nordiques before playing any games for the Flyers. He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996 and took the Cup to his hometown of Wawa, Ontario, where he and his maternal grandfather took it on a fishing trip. He also reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Washington Capitals in 1998 and with the Calgary Flames in 2004. Simon was the Capitals' leading goal scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 29 goals in 75 games.

Simon was involved in numerous on-ice incidents and received eight NHL suspensions totaling 65 games. Notable incidents include a 1997 three-game suspension for a racial slur directed at Mike Grier, a 2007 indefinite suspension (minimum 25 games) for a two-handed baseball swing to the face of Ryan Hollweg, and a 2007 30-game suspension for stomping on Jarkko Ruutu's leg. After his NHL career ended in 2007–08, he played five seasons in the KHL for Chekhov Vityaz, Moscow Dynamo, and Novokuznetsk Metallurg, retiring in 2013.

Reader's Guide

Chris Simon's significance lies in his dual legacy as a key enforcer on the 1996 Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche and as a controversial figure whose career was marked by repeated suspensions for violent on-ice conduct. His eight NHL suspensions, totaling 65 games, included incidents that drew league-wide attention and led to some of the longest bans in modern NHL history at the time. Simon's physical style defined his role, but his career also highlighted the challenges of player discipline in the NHL. Off the ice, Simon was of Ojibwa descent and was seen as a role model to Indigenous Canadians for his accomplishments in the NHL. He struggled with alcohol addiction as a teenager but achieved sobriety with help from future NHL coach Ted Nolan, later counselling indigenous youth. In 2017, Simon filed for bankruptcy, claiming he was unable to work due to hockey injuries, and a doctor testified that he had symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) attributed to significant brain trauma during his career. His death in 2024 at age 52 brought renewed attention to the long-term effects of hockey-related head injuries.

Did You Know?

• Simon took the Stanley Cup on a fishing trip with his maternal grandfather in Wawa, Ontario.
• He was traded as part of the Eric Lindros deal before playing a game for the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Simon was suspended 30 games in 2007 for stomping on Jarkko Ruutu's leg.