The Philadelphia Flyers officially announced via X (Twitter) they would sign former Flyers winger and much beloved fan fave Wayne Simmonds to a one-day contract. Simmonds will be honored in a special pre-game ceremony on Saturday, April 13 when the Flyers host the New Jersey Devils.
“It’s hard to describe my emotions on a day like this, but one of my very first thoughts as I look back is my life in Philadelphia and playing for the Flyers,” Simmonds said in a press release on the Flyers’ official site. “Taking the ice in a Flyers sweater is a special feeling and it’s one that I’m truly proud of. The history of this franchise and standard of being a Flyer that was set is unique and one that I hold in the highest regard. Perhaps the biggest reason for that is the way the fans embrace this team. It was a thrill to play for you all these years, and you mean so much to me. I’d like to thank Dan Hilferty, Keith Jones and Danny Briere for making this a special day and the fans for all their support throughout the years for me and my family.”
The Flyers posted a short clip highlighting Simmonds’ career as a Flyer as part of the announcement.
Comcast CEO and Flyers Chariman Dan Hilferty congratulated Simmonds on “an exceptional career” while adding the forward was focused on “doing whatever it took to win, whether it was scoring goals, blocking shots, sticking up for a teammate or teaching them how to be a true professional on and off the ice.” Hilferty also praised Simmonds for his work off the ice and in his charitable works both in Philadelphia and his hometown of Scarborugh, Ontario. “Simply put, Wayne Simmonds was born to be a Philadelphia Flyer and I am very proud to welcome him back.”
While Flyers President of Hockey Operations echoed many of Hilferty’s sentiments and well wishes, former teammate and current general manager Danny Briere said Simmonds was “an excellent teammate, a leader in the locker room and a class act for the Philadelphia community.”
Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, Simmonds was a crucial part of the return the Flyers would receive for dealing both Mike Richards and Jeff Carter that fateful day of June 23, 2011. Simmonds and Brayden Schenn would be the key pieces in the Richards portion of the trade while Carter’s trade to Columbus would see both Jacob Voracek and a draft pick (which ended up being Sean Couturier) being vital to the team’s post-Cup final future.
Simmonds took to the Flyers as much as the fans took to the rugged forward. Playing in 584 games with the team Simmonds scored 203 goals (91 on the power play, 34 game winners) to go with 175 assists. He was the all-time leader in hits until this past week when Scott Laughton eclipsed Simmonds total of 1,108. His best year for goals was in 2015-16 when he scored 32 goals but had also hit the 30-plus mark (31) the following year. He also took home All-Star Game MVP honors in 2017 as the Flyers representative that year. His post-season determination was never in doubt, particularly in 2012 when, in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against Pittsburgh he challenged James Neal (who had cheapshotted both Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux with gutless hits) who quickly thought better of it.
The Flyers traded Simmonds on Feb. 25, 2019 to Nashville for Ryan Hartman. The brief stay with the Predators was following by a stint with the Devils who traded him at the 2020 trade deadline to Buffalo. The Sabres phase was short-lived as the league shut down operations due to the global pandemic. Simmonds spent his final years with the Toronto Maple Leafs over three seasons, playing 72 games in 2021-22 before just 18 in 2022-23.
