Simon Gagne announces retirement

Drafted 22nd overall in 1998 by the Philadelphia Flyers, Gagne will formally retire from the ice with 822 games played; he’s recorded 291 regular season goals, 601 points, and a Stanley Cup Championship to his name (won in 2012 with the Los Angeles Kings).

“I have so many good memories with the Flyers”, Gagne said. “Every evening, you energized me and inspired me to perform”.

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A two-time All-Star, Gagne spent 14 seasons in the National Hockey League , including 11 with the Flyers.

He topped 30 goals four times with the Flyers and 40 goals twice, including his career-best season in 2005-06 when he put up 47 goals and 79 points. He took 2013-14 off from hockey, then joined the Bruins in training camp in 2014. Pierre Gagne lost his battle with liver cancer on December 26 and Simon decided he would not return for the rest of the season. That year was really special.

Yesterday morning, Gagne officially chose to call it a career.

Gagne was bothered sporadically throughout his career by groin pulls and especially post-concussion syndrome, which saw him miss a significant number of games. He ranks ninth on the Flyers’ all-time list in goals and 10th in points (535) and games played (691).

Gagne was traded from the Flyers after the 2010 season to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Matt Walker and a fourth-round draft selection. “It was pretty neat when a player – like Kimmo (Timonen, who just won the Cup with Chicago) that’s the ideal ending, the flawless scenario, right?” Gagne had a goal and three assists in six games. He was a real impact player for us. If not, maybe he shouldn’t have scored that goal and broken all our hearts. He played in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002 where Canada took home the Gold Medal, and once again at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.