Philadelphia Flyers veteran Wayne Simmonds has announced his retirement from the NHL aged 35 after a glittering 15 seasons in the league.
The forward plans to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Flyers next month and he’ll be honored by the team before their game against the New Jersey Devils on April 13 at Wells Fargo Center.
He played over half of his NHL games (584 of 1,037) as a forward with Philadelphia between 2011 and 2019. Simmonds scored an impressive 203 goals in his tenure with the Flyers, ranking 14th in team history.
“Philadelphia has always got a special place in my heart,” Simmonds said.
“It’s been unbelievable to me. Philly is a blue-collar town, and I think that’s kind of what I brought in my game. I think that’s kind of what made myself endeared to the fans. I loved every second of it. It was amazing, my time in Philly.”
Wayne Simmonds has announced his retirement.️
Congratulations on a great career, Wayne! 👏 pic.twitter.com/hyq1xmsFwM
— NHL (@NHL) March 18, 2024
“I think my career had run its course,” he said. “Having a lot of the injuries that I had slowed me down quite a bit and I think the way that I played the game, I always had to be on my toes and always had to be going. I realized the last couple of years there that I just didn’t have what I used to have, and it was extremely frustrating.
“At the same time, I started a family. I have a 4-year-old [daughter] who turns 5 in a month, another daughter who just turned 2 and I have a 4-month-old son. For me, it was important to set my roots and be here for my family. If I was still at the top of my game I’d still be playing, obviously, and I think that retirement could wait. But the way I was going, I just felt it was time for me to be with my family and enjoy that that life.”
Simmonds spent his last two NHL campaigns with his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. He recorded six seasons with at least 20 goals and won the MVP award at the 2017 NHL All-Star game.
