Will Sean Couturier ever score again? That’s an idea for a later column, but in the meantime there’s this:

“Former Philadelphia Flyer Wayne Simmonds today announced his retirement from the National Hockey League (NHL). In honor of his retirement, the Philadelphia Flyers will sign Simmonds to a one-day contract and honor his career on Saturday, April 13 when the Flyers host the New Jersey Devils at Wells Fargo Center (5 p.m. ET).”

Simmer is 35 now. He came to Philly from LA in 2011 as part of the Mike Richards deal, then departed in 2019 in a trade deadline expiring contract move that returned Ryan Hartman and a conditional fourth, which was later sent to Anaheim for Derek Grant.

Simmonds is quoted in the Flyers’ press release:

“It’s hard to describe my emotions on a day like this, but one of my very first thoughts as I look back is my life in Philadelphia and playing for the Flyers,” said Simmonds. “Taking the ice in a Flyers sweater is a special feeling and it’s one that I’m truly proud of. The history of this franchise and standard of being a Flyer that was set is unique and one that I hold in the highest regard. Perhaps the biggest reason for that is the way the fans embrace this team. It was a thrill to play for you all these years, and you mean so much to me. I’d like to thank Dan Hilferty, Keith Jones and Danny Briere for making this a special day and the fans for all their support throughout the years for me and my family.”

Eight of his 15 NHL careers were played in Philadelphia, so the one-day contract retirement always made a ton of sense. He played in that memorable 2012 playoff series against the Penguins and had the hat trick in Game 6 of the 2014 series against the Rangers. Simmonds was consistently a 45-60 point guy for a half-decade here, at least, a physical player who only appeared in fewer than 70 games once over eight seasons. According to the Flyers, he ranks second in franchise history in hits with 1,108 and finished his career with 378 points playing for LA, Philly, Toronto, Nashville, Buffalo, and NJ.

Admittedly, there wasn’t much playoff success during Simmonds’ time here. It was an old era of orange, not a new era of orange. But he was a quality player and really a perfect fit for this city and this team and instantly became a fan favorite with his rugged style of play. No one was better in front of the net on the power play. And he seemed like a good person too, like a no frills type of guy who just sort of “got it,” which resonated with the fan base. The Wayne Train gave us a lot of good individual moments, like this one: