Although he broke into the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings and played 1,037 regular season games and 53 matches in the Stanley Cup playoffs with six teams, power forward Wayne Simmonds will always be most associated with the Philadelphia Flyers. "Simmer" spent most of eight seasons (2011-12) with the Flyers and enjoyed his greatest career success in the orange and black.
Throughout his years in Philadelphia, Simmonds wore No. 17 with distinction. He brought a combination of toughness, intense competitive drive and goal-scoring prowess on the ice along with integrity, honesty and a deep caring off-the-ice for his teammates and the Delaware Valley community.
Here are 17 moments, listed chronologically, that defined Simmonds' years in Philadelphia.
1. June 23, 2011: The Flyers acquire Simmonds, top prospect Brayden Schenn and a 2012 second-round Draft pick (later traded to the Dallas Stars for defenseman Nicklas Grossmann) in exchange for Mike Richards and AHL forward Rob Bordson.
2. October 8, 2011: In the second game of the 2011-12 regular season, the Flyers shut out the New Jersey Devils, 3-0. At 4:50 of the third period, three shifts after rookie Matt Read scores the first goal of his NHL career, Simmonds scores his first goal as a Flyer. In the same game, Simmonds tangles with David Clarkson for his first fight as a Flyer. Ilya Bryzgalov outplays the legendary Martin Brodeur. The Flyers are on their way to a 3-0-0 start after beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins (road), the Devils (road), and the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks (home) in the season's first three games.
3. March 31, 2012: Simmonds starts a Flyers comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Ottawa Senators with one of the most memorable -- and painful -- goals of his career. Simmonds goes to the net as linemate Brayden Schenn makes a curl-and-drag move to fire off a shot from the center slot. The puck deflects off Simmonds' face and into the net for his 26th goal of the season. The Flyers go on to forge a 3-3 tie before Ottawa pulls out a 4-3 win.
4. April 1, 2012: In a precursor to their subsequent war of an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal playoff series, the Flyers defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-4, in a fight-filled matinee on national television. Simmonds breaks a 2-2 tie early in the third period with a power play goal (his 27th of 28 during the regular season). Later, he engages in a fight with defenseman Deryk Engelland. This highly emotional game is best remembered for Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette and Penguins assistant coach Tony Granato standing on their respective benches, screaming at one another.
5. April 15, 2012: Simmonds scores his first playoff goal and records his first playoff assist as a Flyer in Game 3 of the first-round series against Pittsburgh. The Flyers win another fight-filled and emotionally supercharged game, 8-4, to take a three games to zero lead in the series. Philly will ultimately prevail in six games. In addition to his two points, Simmonds collects 12 penalty minutes in this match
6. February 20, 2013: The Flyers recover from an early 2-0 deficit and go on to earn a wild 7-6 victory over the arch-rival road Pittsburgh Penguins in a nationally televised game. Simmonds leads the way. He scores even strength goals at 12:49 of the first period and 7:36 of the third period. He drops the gloves with Tanner Glass. Simmonds also assists on a Jakub Voracek power play goal to complete his first Gordie Howe Hat Trick as a Flyer.
7. Dec. 28, 2013: A scorching hot Simmonds collects two power play goals in the second period of a 4-3 Flyers road victory against the Edmonton Oilers. It marks Simmonds third straight two-goal game (6g, 1a, 7 points) on his way to a 29-goal season.
8. March 20, 2014: Simmonds tallies power play and even strength goals in a 4-2 Flyers home victory against the Dallas Stars. In the same game, Simmonds lands a clean open-ice body check on Alex Goligoski that brings the Wells Fargo Center crowd to its feet.
9. April 29, 2014: The Flyers force a seventh and deciding game in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal playoff series against the New York Rangers with a 5-2 home victory in Game 6. Leading the way in the must-win game: Wayne Simmonds. "Simmer" racks up his first and only Stanley Cup playoff hat trick on the way to scoring four goals in the series. The Rangers prevail in Game 7 by a 2-1 score.
10. April 7, 2016: With his game face already on, Simmonds receives the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award prior to a home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Simmonds scores his 30th goal of the season but the Flyers fall, 4-3. After the game, Simmonds comes over to the reporter who presented him the award and says, "I hope I didn't forget to say thank you." Simmonds is assured that he did, indeed, express his gratitude despite being intensely focused on the game.
11. April 9, 2016: Perhaps no other game in his NHL career better encapsulates the crossroads of Wayne Simmonds the human being as Simmonds the hockey player as this nationally televised matinee against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Prior to the start, Simmonds publicly dedicates the game to gravely ailing Flyers chairman and co-founder Ed Snider. He then goes out and scores the tying and go-ahead goals (his 31st and career-best 32nd of the 2015-16 season). The Flyers defeat the Penguins, 3-1, to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Mr. Snider passes away on April 11.
12. January 29, 2017: Simmonds scores three goals -- including the game-winner in the championship match -- at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Simmonds is selected as the MVP.
13. March 30, 2017: Simmonds assists on a Jordan Weal goal, scores his 30th goal of the 2016-17 season, and fights Anders Lee for a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in the Flyers' 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders. It's the second Gordie of Simmonds' career in Philadelphia.
14. April 9, 2017; Simmonds receives the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the Flyers' most valuable player of the 2016-17 season. He scores his 31st goal of the season to temporarily give the Flyers a third period lead in a 4-3 (2-1) shootout loss at home against the Carolina Hurricanes. Simmonds finishes the season with 54 points (team-high 31 goals, 23 assists) and 122 penalty minutes while dressing in all 82 games.
15. October 19, 2017: During a home game against the Nashville Predators, Simmonds is seated on the bench when a Nashville player accidentally catches the Flyers forward in the mouth with an errant swing of his stick. Simmonds required medical attention but remains in the game.
The next day, Simmonds attends practice in Voorhees and then goes to the dentist office for an agonizing four-hour procedure to see how many teeth can be saved, how many would soon die and need to be extracted, and how many would need to come out immediately.Simmonds ultimately loses four front teeth. He elects to wait until after his career to get dental implants.
16. October 21, 2017: The Flyers play the Edmonton Oilers at the Wells Fargo Center. Simmonds is, of course, in the starting lineup. At 17:45 of the third period, Simmonds scores the game-winning goal in a 2-1 Flyers victory.
17: February 24, 2019: One day prior to the 2019 NHL trade deadline, Simmonds plays in the Flyers' comeback win in the rain against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stadium Series at Lincoln Financial Field. After the game, Jakub Voracek and other teammates embrace their longtime friend and teammate. The next day, the Flyers trade Simmonds to the Nashville Predators for Ryan Hartman and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
