Wayne Simmonds

Wayne Simmonds (born August 26, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger.

Simmonds spent the majority of his minor hockey career playing A and AA hockey in the east end of Toronto, including the Minor Midget Toronto Aces in 2003–04 season of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL).

After several GTHL AAA players graduated the following summer to junior hockey, Simmonds moved up to the AAA level for the first time with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens midgets of the GTHL in 2004–05.

After Simmonds was scouted at the Telus Cup Regional Midget tournament in the spring of 2005, Mike McCourt noticed him and signed him for the following season with the Brockville Braves of the Central Junior A Hockey League for the 2005–06 season.

McCourt was general manager and coach of the Braves and added Simmonds to his club.

Two years after being passed over in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Draft, Simmonds was selected as an 18-year-old by the Owen Sound Attack in the sixth round, 114th overall, in the 2006 OHL Priority Selection.

Simmonds spent his major junior career playing two seasons in the OHL from 2006 until 2008 with the Owen Sound Attack and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

A right-handed shooter, Simmonds was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs between 2008 and 2023.

He also played for Canada at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

While playing with the Jr. Canadiens, Simmonds became friends with Chris Stewart.

The two would later purchase a house together in Toronto, where they lived during the off-season.

He was one of three rookies to make the team's roster for its 2008–09 season.

On October 14, 2008, in his third career game, Simmonds scored his first career NHL goal by knocking a rebound past Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Anaheim Ducks.

During his rookie season, Simmonds became a favourite among L.A. fans for his strong work ethic on and off the ice, a trait he has said was instilled within him by his parents.

Entering his second NHL season, Simmonds was looking to increase his offensive production, having tied for the Kings' goal-scoring lead in pre-season play that year.

He ultimately scored 40 points in the 2009–10 regular season, nearly doubling his point total of the previous season.

Additionally, he led the team in plus-minus and saw substantive time as a member of the team's penalty killing unit.

When the Kings unsuccessfully pursued a trade for superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, then of the Atlanta Thrashers, shortly before that season's All-Star break, Simmonds was among the Kings' players whom Atlanta wanted in return.

On June 23, 2011, Simmonds was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers (along with Brayden Schenn and a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft) in exchange for Mike Richards and Rob Bordson.

As a restricted free agent, he signed a two-year contract with an average salary of $1.75 million.

On September 22, 2011, during a pre-season game in London, Ontario, between the Detroit Red Wings and the Flyers, a banana was thrown onto the ice while Simmonds was making a shootout attempt.

This was seen as an act of racism.

The following day, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement regarding the events of the previous day.

"We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game," said Bettman in the statement, "the obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario."

Chris Moorhouse later pleaded guilty to engaging in a prohibited activity under the Ontario Trespass to Property Act and was fined $200, but did not need to appear in court.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Simmonds played in Europe with ETC Crimmitschau and HC Bílí Tygři Liberec.

He is known to his teammates and fans by the nickname "Wayne Train".

Simmonds was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario, the third of four sons, in addition to one daughter, born to Cyril Simmonds and Wanda Mercury-Simmonds.

His family is originally from North Preston, Nova Scotia.

Despite growing up in the Toronto area, Simmonds has said he grew up a fan primarily of the Detroit Red Wings.

His favourite player growing up was Sergei Fedorov.

In third grade Simmonds wrote a report for career day in which he said he wanted to be a professional ice hockey player.

His teacher was discouraging but Simmonds did not change what he wrote.

Simmonds achieved a Gordie Howe hat trick in a 5–2 loss to the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center on February 11, 2012.

On March 30, 2012, against the Ottawa Senators, Flyers center Brayden Schenn shot a puck which glanced off of Simmonds' forehead and into the net.

Simmonds was credited with the goal.

On August 15, 2012, the Flyers signed Simmonds to a six-year extension worth an annual average value of approximately $4 million.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Simmonds was playing with ETC Crimmitschau of the 2nd Bundesliga and HC Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga.

In a game between Liberec and Piráti Chomutov in the Czech Extraliga, fans began a chant of "opice", a term which roughly translates to "monkey", towards Simmonds, after his involvement in a fight.