Philadelphia Sports: Section 215 top 25 Philadelphia athletes revealed
By Chuck Booth
Number four: Wayne Simmonds – Winger, Philadelphia Flyers
In June 2011, the Philadelphia Flyers made two trades that would alter the trajectory of the franchise. The first transaction sent Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets and returned Jakub Voracek and two draft picks, which turned into Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins. The second move shipped captain Mike Richards to the Los Angeles Kings for blue-chip prospect Brayden Schenn and a third-line winger by the name of Wayne Simmonds.
It was a confusing series of moves for Flyers fans. The team was one year removed from a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Finals. In 2011, the team had largely been done in by its lackluster goaltending. However, the promising Sergei Bobrovsky had shown flashes of brilliance between the pipes. The Flyers simply needed to stay the course…
Nope. Then-general manager Paul Holmgren decided a foundational shake-up of the franchise was in order.
Mike Richards had been the heart and soul of the Orange and Black. Who could forget “The Shift?” Needless to say, it was not a trade met with universal approval among Flyers fans.
Wayne Simmonds immediately changed any negative perception of the swap. In his first season on the Philadelphia sports scene, “Simmer” scored 28 goals and established himself as a force on the power play. His physical presence on the ice complements the finesse of frequent linemate Claude Giroux. His willingness to drop the gloves to protect his teammates deters the opposition from taking liberties with the Flyers’ skill players.
But make no mistake about it. Simmonds is a tremendously skilled player in his own right. He has a gifted set of hands that he uses to score a number of nifty goals from in close. He’s fast enough to keep up with the likes of Giroux and big enough to dig the puck from the corner boards.
Simmonds dons the #17 jersey, which was once the number of legendary Flyer Rod Brind’Amour. The link between the two extends beyond the numerical realm. Like Brind’Amour, Simmonds possesses an unusual mixture of grit and talent. Both are natural leaders. And both will forever hold a cherished place in the history of the Philadelphia Flyers franchise.