Former Avalanche Forward, Stanley Cup Winner Chris Simon Passes Away

These are the stories I don’t enjoy writing, as the Colorado Avalanche have lost another member of their family.

Chris Simon, who played a valuable role on the 1995-96 Stanley Cup winning Avalanche team, has passed away at the age of 52. Simon played 782 NHL games over the span of 15 seasons, scoring 144 goals. While Simon was a lot more skilled than you might think, he was most known for playing the role of the enforcer, as he amassed 1,824 penalty minutes over his career.

Simon was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, but was sent to the Quebec Nordiques so that the Flyers could acquire Eric Lindros. He played 82 games over three seasons with the Nordiques, but his big breakout year came during the 95-96 season with the Avalanche. The 6’3″ winger scored 16 goals and added 18 assists for Colorado that season, and played in 12 playoff games on the way to picking up a Stanley Cup ring. Simon was the intimidator on a team full of stars, but make no mistake, he could play the game.

After that season, he was dealt to the Washington Capitals as part of a package for the Avalanche to acquire Keith Jones. Washington is where he had the best season of his career, scoring 29 goals during the 1999-00 campaign.

Avalanche Team President and Simon’s former teammate, Joe Sakic, released the following statement on the winger.

“Chris was a great guy, a beloved teammate and important part of our first championship season,” Sakic said. “He was a really good hockey player who could score goals, was a big presence in the dressing room and was the first person to stand up and defend his teammates. Off the ice he was an unbelievable guy and a caring father, son, brother, and friend. He will be sorely missed.”

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— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 19, 2024

Colorado Hockey Now sends our condolences to Chris’ family and friends in this terrible time. May he rest in peace.