Stanley Cup-Winning Enforcer Chris Simon Dead At 52

Stanley Cup champion and NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died. He was just 52 years old.

According to TSN, the NHL Players Association confirmed reports that Simon died on Monday night, adding in a statement that "his children and family are grieving the sudden loss of their father, son, brother, friend and teammate. "

Simon appeared in 782 NHL games and amassed a staggering 1,824 penalty minutes and was one of the preeminent enforcers of his era.

There was an outpouring of tributes from around the NHL.

Simon was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the 1990 NHL Draft, and while his style of play would have been right at home on Broad Street, he never played a game for the team. 

Instead, Simon was one of the players shipped to the Quebec Nordiques — Steve Duchesne, Peter Forsberg, Ron Hextall, Kerry Huffman, and Mike Ricci — in the trade that sent Eric Lindros to the Flyers.

Simon won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 (after they moved from Quebec the year before) and made two Stanley Cup Final appearances throughout his journeyman career, in 1998 with the Washington Capitals and 2004 with the Calgary Flames.

Simon was also remembered for controversial on-ice moments that led to lengthy suspensions. He was dealt a 25-game suspension after cross-checking Ryan Hollweg of the New York Rangers in the face.

About a year later, he was suspended for 30 games after he stomped on the Pittsburgh Penguins' Jarko Ruutu's leg.

Still, despite being known for his toughness, Simon still racked up 305 points, including a career-high 29 in the 1999-00 season while a member of the Capitals.

Simon wrapped up his NHL career following the 2007-08 season — which he spent with the Minnesota Wild — before spending several years in Russia's KHL.