Former Washington Capitals forward Chris Simon passed away at the age of 52 on Monday night. The cause of death was not announced and Simon’s family has asked for their privacy to be respected during this time, per the NHL Alumni Association.
A 15-year veteran of the NHL, Simon spent seven seasons in DC, tallying 151 points (72g, 79a) in 320 games. Two seasons after winning a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche, Simon helped push the Capitals to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1998. The Caps were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.
“Very sad news,” Peter Bondra posted on Twitter. “Chris was a great teammate, line mate, and friend. Always kind. Have a lot of great memories with him. Rest in peace, Si.”
Very sad news. Chris was a great teammate, line mate, and friend. Always kind. Have a lot of great memories with him. Rest in peace, Si. pic.twitter.com/iyxkxO1QyJ
— Peter Bondra (@PeterBondra12) March 19, 2024
The Capitals released a statement saying:
The Washington Capitals are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Simon. Chris was a fixture in Washington for parts of seven seasons and was an integral member of the 1998 team that reached the first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. Our entire organization extends our deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Simon, a feared enforcer and physical presence who for a time sported long black hair, was initially acquired by the Capitals in November of 1996 after being a member of the Avalanche’s 1996 Stanley Cup team. Unable to come to terms on a new deal, the Avs then dealt Simon, a restricted free agent, to Washington along with defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn for Keith Jones and two draft picks.
The 6-foot-3, 232-pound forward, who was of Ojibwe heritage, went on to be a popular member of the Capitals, scoring a career-high 29 goals during the 1999-00 season as he formed a formidable trio with Adam Oates and Peter Bondra.
The Wawa, Ontario native dropped the gloves 27 times in his Capitals career, fighting heavyweights like Zdeno Chara, Chris Neil, and Rob Ray.
Simon would go on to have stints with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, and Minnesota Wild, finishing his career with 305 points and 1,824 penalty minutes in 782 games. Simon visited the Stanley Cup Final one last time in 2004 as a member of the Calgary Flames.
Simon would be remembered as a controversial player who was suspended eight different times by the NHL for on-ice incidents. Thirty of those 65 games came after Simon stomped on Jarkko Ruutu’s right leg with his skate in December 2007. He also two-hand slashed Ryan Hollweg in the face after being run hard into the boards and was suspended for the rest of the 2007-08 season. Simon was also accused of using a racial slur toward Mike Grier in 1997.
After his days in the NHL were done, Simon would go on to finish his career in Russia where he’d post a career-high 236 penalty minutes in 2008-09 as a member of Vityaz Chekhov. He’d also have stints with OHK Dynamo Moskva and Metallurg Novokuznetsk.
In retirement, Simon filed for bankruptcy in 2017, saying he was unable to work due to injuries suffered during his playing career. In documents filed by Simon and reported by the Ottawa Citizen, the former enforcer had “symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy” and he also suffered from “depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and arthritis to his shoulder, hand, knees, back and neck.”
“Chris was a great guy, a beloved teammate and an important part of our first championship season,” Avalanche president and former teammate Joe Sakic said in a statement. “He was a really good hockey player who could score goals, was a big presence in the dressing room and was the first person to stand up and defend his teammates. Off the ice he was an unbelievable guy and a caring father, son, brother and friend. He will be sorely missed.”
The NHL Alumni Association is devastated to learn that Stanley Cup Champion, Chris Simon, has passed away at the age of 52 years old.
Chris was drafted 25th overall in the 1990 draft to the @NHLFlyers, but would be traded to the Quebec Nordiques before playing for Philly. He… pic.twitter.com/jufiR9RhBS
— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) March 19, 2024
