Boston Bruins: Former-Bruin Simon Gagne Retires
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Simon Gagne, a veteran of 14 NHL seasons, officially announced his retirement on Tuesday. Drafted in 1998 by the Philadelphia Flyers with the 22nd overall draft pick, Gagne went on to play for 11 seasons with the Broadstreet Bullies before eventually winding up on the Bruins.
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In a statement on the Flyers official website, Gagne said “Today, I want to thank my trainers and teammates,” he went on to say, “You inspired me to surpass myself. You made me understand that you need more than talent; it takes sacrifice and discipline and you need to work harder than your rivals. I also wish to thank my fans. Every evening, you energized me and inspired me to perform.”
Gagne was a consistent scorer throughout his career, posting 291 goals and 310 assists for 601 points in 822 games. After leaving the Flyers following the 2009-10 season, Gagne spent one season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, and briefly returned to the Flyers over the next three seasons. Gagne took one year off from professional hockey during the 2013-14 season to recover from multiple injuries to his head, neck, and groin. The next, and final chapter of his playing career involved a professional try-out contract with the Boston Bruins
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After impressing Peter Chiarelli and Claude Julien enough out of training camp and preseason, Gagne earned a role on the Bruins fourth line, while occasionally joining the first line during the Bruins search for a consistent scorer. Gagne went on to play in 23 games with the Bruins, scoring three goals and one assist for four points. After two months of playing, Gagne took a leave of absence to care for his sick father, before eventually leaving the team.
Gagne released a statement in January explaining the reason for his absence, which had until then, been cited as “personal reasons”. “The last month has been extremely difficult for me with my father being sick and his passing,” Gagne went on to say, “To play in the NHL, you have to be 100 percent mentally, emotionally, and physically committed to the game. At this time, I know that I cannot be close to those levels. The Bruins organization and my teammates have been great to my family and I during this time.” Gagne concluded his statement with, “When I decided not to return this season, I spoke to (then-Bruins General Manager) Peter Chiarelli and assured him that I did not want the organization or my teammates to be impacted. Together we made the decision that my status would be changed so that the team could have a full active roster. In addition, I would like to thank the fans and the NHL family for all of the support that they have given my family and I during this difficult time — it truly means a lot.”
Simon Gagne spent very limited time with the Boston Bruins, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the better hockey players of his time. A true gentleman of the sport, Gagne should be remembered fondly by his former teammates and peers.
Follow Brandon Share-Cohen on Twitter @FansidedBrandon to discuss all things Bruins and sports