Simmonds' seemingly endless energy and his willingness to grind it out along the boards and in front of the opponent's net has helped to make him a fan favorite. All of the goals he scores only add to his popularity.
Simmonds scored 163 goals from 2011-12 to 2016-17, his first six seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings. He solidified himself as one of the top power-play threats in the NHL and been consistently physical too, often finishing with well over 100 hits in a season. Simmonds won MVP honors at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game after helping the Metropolitan Division to victory.
Simmonds' seemingly endless energy and his willingness to grind it out along the boards and in front of the opponent's net has helped to make him a fan favorite. All of the goals he scores only add to his popularity.
Simmonds scored 163 goals from 2011-12 to 2016-17, his first six seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers after being acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings. He solidified himself as one of the top power-play threats in the NHL and been consistently physical too, often finishing with well over 100 hits in a season. Simmonds won MVP honors at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game after helping the Metropolitan Division to victory.
His combination of skill and strength attracted interest from the Nashville Predators, who acquired him in a trade with the Flyers on Feb. 25, 2019.
A native of Scarborough, Ontario, where he helped create a summer ball hockey tournament aimed at getting local children interested in the sport, Simmonds was selected by the Kings in the second round (No. 61) of the 2007 NHL Draft. One of three rookies to make the team for the start of the 2008-09 NHL season, he scored his first NHL goal in his third NHL game in typical Simmonds fashion, poking a rebound past Jean-Sebastien Giguere of the Anaheim Ducks on Oct. 14, 2008.
Simmonds proved to be not just productive and tough but also durable; he scored 39 goals while missing only six games during his three seasons with the Kings. He received votes for the Selke Award, given to the top defensive forward in the NHL, after his second season.
The Kings traded him with Brayden Schenn and a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft to the Flyers for Mike Richards and Rob Bordson on June 23, 2011.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2017)
- Traded to Philadelphia by Los Angeles with Brayden Schenn and Los Angeles' 2nd round pick (later traded to Dallas -- Dallas selected Devin Shore) in 2012 NHL Draft for Mike Richards and Rob Bordson, June 23, 2011.
- Signed as a free agent by Crimmitschau (German-2), September 24, 2012.
- Signed as a free agent by Liberec (Czech Rep.), October 23, 2012.
- Traded to Nashville by Philadelphia for Ryan Hartman and a conditional pick in 2020 NHL Draft, February 25, 2019.
- Signed as a free agent by New Jersey, July 1, 2019.
