Wayne Simmonds to retire a Flyer: ‘Philadelphia has always had a special place in my heart’

The popular winger, 35, will sign a one-day contract with the Flyers on April 13.

Wayne Simmonds was beloved in Philadelphia for his skill, toughness, and blue-collar style of play.Read more

Published Mar. 18, 2024, 2:48 p.m. ET

Wayne Simmonds is Philadelphia.

The former Flyers winger, 35, announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday and will sign a one-day contract on April 13 to officially hang up his skates in the Orange and Black.

“Philadelphia has always had a special place in my heart. It’s been unbelievable to me and Philly is a blue-collar town, and that’s kind of what I brought in my game,” said Simmonds on a Zoom call with media members.

“That’s kind of what made myself endeared to the fans and I loved every second of it, and it was amazing, my time in Philly.”

Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the deal that sent Mike Richards west in June 2011, Simmonds quickly enamored himself to the Philly faithful.

In his first game he got the secondary assist on Jake Voráček’s game-winner against the Boston Bruins to open the 2011-12 season. In his second game, he scored and dropped the gloves with the New Jersey Devils’ David Clarkson in a 3-0 romp. It was a moment that stood out to a young rookie.

“He really just fit right in. He’s got that Philly character,” said captain Sean Couturier, who also made his Flyers debut against the Bruins. “He was always fighting for his teammates, block shots, go to the net, go to the dirty areas; he really just was a hardworking guy.

“Came from far and came a long way to [have] the type of career he had,” Couturier said. “He’s earned the efforts and the success that he’s had, so I’m really glad for him.”

» READ MORE: How Wayne Simmonds affected the Flyers

The Wayne Train, as he was nicknamed, played eight of his 15 NHL seasons with the Flyers. A kid from Scarborough, Ontario, he wasn’t just the tough guy — although he was that, too. Along with his 784 penalty minutes, he collected 378 points (203 goals, 175 assists) in 584 games with Philly. In 2015-16, he led the Flyers with a career-high 32 goals, and he ranks 14th in franchise history in career goals. A guy who John Tortorella said “played the game the right way,” Simmonds also registered 15 points in 30 career playoff games.

“I gave everything I had to Philadelphia, and I think it kind of cut my career short, but I wouldn’t change it one bit,” Simmonds said. “Every ounce, every tear, every piece of sweat, all the blood, all the teeth I don’t have, it was just something that I was willing to do.

“Whatever I could possibly do to try and win, and, obviously, that didn’t happen in Philly, but I always meant everything, every single thing that I did, and it was just important for me. I got so much love from the fans there, it was just important to me that I did give it my all.”

The heart and soul of the Flyers during his tenure, Simmonds scored 20-plus goals six times and is one of just three players to lead the club in goals in four consecutive years. He was named the 2017 All-Star Game MVP. Simmonds’ 1,108 hits rank second in franchise history behind former teammate Scott Laughton, who surpassed him Saturday in Boston.

“That’s the biggest thing, I think the energy and how vocal he was with guys and how he brought you into the fight,” said Laughton. “That was the biggest thing, he always brought you into the fight. Always was there for you and got us going most nights.”

Laughton also recalled a time he got jumped in Boston and “Simmer” was the first guy in to have his back. “I’m really happy for him. It’s going to be an awesome day when we recognize him.”

Simmonds’ final game as a member of the Flyers came on Feb. 23, 2019. In the rain at Lincoln Financial Field, the Flyers came back and topped the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3, in the Stadium Series. Knowing his career in Philly was coming to an end — and he would be traded two days later to the Nashville Predators — Simmonds was given the player-of-the-game helmet from his teammates.

“I think that moment right there kind of encapsulated it all,” he said. “I remember getting that helmet and speaking with ... the whole rest of the team and having tears coming out of my eyes. I didn’t really want to be traded ever from Philadelphia. It was just the nature of the business. ...

“It was very disheartening to get traded, but at the same time, it’s a business and I know how things go. So I think that’s why it’s important for me to sign this one-day contract and come back and retire as a Flyer.”

The connection between Simmonds and the city runs deep. He cited it as another reason why he wants to end his career in Orange and Black. During his tenure, Simmonds was well-known for his work in the Philadelphia community, and now that he’s retired, he hopes to get more involved.

“The people of Philadelphia, they accepted me as one of their own,” he said. “For me to have been there for eight years, I felt it was only right for me to give back to the community and do whatever I could possibly do.”

He won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2018-19, an honor presented to the NHL player who exemplifies great leadership qualities on and off the ice and plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.

Simmonds was — and still is — an integral member of the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation’s board. He also hosted “Wayne’s Warriors,” in which he purchased a full-season suite and donated it every game to local military members, and was involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and March of Dimes.

“He was the ultimate teammate, warrior. He’d do anything for his teammates,” Couturier said. “Obviously, he had a big impact on the city on and off the ice. He was really involved in the community, and it just shows you the type of person he is, the character he has, and I definitely learned a lot from a leader like him, that’s for sure.”

The rugged forward with a heart of gold also played for the Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, and, to finish his career, his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. In 1,037 career games, Simmonds tallied 263 goals and 263 assists and had 1,313 penalty minutes.