Being tabbed a 'Black Ace' is a badge of honor among prospects, as players spend time with the big club after the conclusion of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's season. They work out and try to stay in game shape, on call in case an injury occurs.
While it's a terrific learning experience, any hockey player would rather be playing. This season, Simon earned a more prominent role with the Penguins, appearing in a career-high 33 games in the regular season. And now, no longer a 'Black Ace', Simon is now contributing to a postseason run, not just taking it in.
On Wednesday, the 23-year-old forward made his NHL playoff debut in Pittsburgh's 5-1 win over Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Center that gave the Penguins a 3-1 series lead over the Flyers in their First Round matchup.
"It was amazing to get in there," Simon said. "It's exciting, it's what you work towards. It was a little stressful but I just tried to enjoy it."
Simon started the game, playing the opening shift and most of the night alongside Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Despite not playing since March 25, Simon felt that he was prepared both mentally and physically for the elevated pace of the postseason.
"I felt good," Simon said. "I was lucky to start the game. I was taking the energy from the crowd and trying to play my best and be responsible from the first minute. I think it went pretty well."
This season was a big stepping stone in Simon's development. The 23-year-old forward stuck with the Penguins after his initial call-up on Dec. 8, contributing 12 points. His four goals and eight assists were both career-highs. He scored his first NHL goal in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Jan. 14.
Game 4 provided another big first for Simon. If making his playoff debut wasn't memorable enough, Simon picked up his first career playoff point by assisting on Crosby's second-period goal, which allowed him to pass Mario Lemieux for the most postseason points in franchise history.
"It was a special moment, to be playing and get that point too," Simon said. "But it's most important that we won the game."
After the team announced that Patric Hornqvist would be out with an upper-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan said it would be an opportunity for young guys like Simon to step up. And overall, he felt like the rookie winger did just that.
"Dominik Simon had a strong game," Sullivan said. "I liked his game. I thought he brought a lot of energy to our team. He has really good hands, he can make plays coming through the neutral zone. I thought he had a good game. You could tell he was excited to play and he brought us a lot of energy."
