Dater’s Daily: Chris Simon living his best life, and “MacKinnon” wins another horse race

Good Wednesday to all, hope it’s a good one. Let’s do some hockey links, starting with a visit here with former Avs enforcer and Stanley Cup champion, Chris Simon. The Chief is doing well, and gave me permission to use that photo above of his latest catch in Canada’s Northwest Territories, where he was born and raised and still lives.

Simon is a gentle soul off the ice, but when he was on the ice? No, you didn’t want to mess with him. I think people who were rabid fans of the Avs in 1995-96 know his value to the team, but I don’t think he ever got enough credit to just how valuable he was. He scared the wits out of every opponent, and he also scored 16 goals playing often on a line with Joe Sakic and Scott Young. I think it was an injustice when he was scratched for all of the Stanley Cup Finals against Florida. I think he had an ankle that was giving him problems at the time, but still. That hurt his feelings and started to make things go sour for him with the Avs.

Pierre Lacroix, in one of his rare missteps, offered Chris Simon just a $125,000 raise over the $500,000 he made. Simon held out and was traded to Washington, where he immediately was given a $1 million salary by the Caps, who made the Stanley Cup Finals two years later, with Simon playing a major role on the team.

Continued good days at the lake, Chief.

• So, Erik Johnson’s latest horse, “MacKinnon” won another race over the weekend, taking a $60,000 prize (San Diego Union Tribune)
• Speaking of former enforcers, Stu Grimson talked to our own Dan Kingerski about the need for tough guys still in the NHL (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
• The Avs-Red Wings rivalry has moved to Moscow (Detroit Hockey Now)
• Has bias against drafting a goalie in the first round gone too far? (San Jose Hockey Now)
• Some big things are happening at the Hockey Now Network (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
• Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy knows he has ‘The Quan’ so right now, h’s in no hurry for his agent Rick Curran and Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney to show him the money. (BHN)
• Does New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal need to reel it in this season and control his temper? (NYI Hockey Now)
• In the end, the NHL wanted to honor the current CBA and the wishes of the NHLPA, so they signed off on NHLers heading to Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympics. (NHL)
• After essentially being banished from the NHL, former Canucks winger Jake Virtanen will play in the KHL this season. (TSN)
• The best fits for Vladimir Tarasenko and Evgeny Kuznetsov (Hockey News)
• Building the ultimate hockey book collection (Hey, I think I see “Blood Feud” in there!) (Hockey News)