One of Flin Flon’s most imposing hockey presences returned to an NHL rink.
Reid Simpson, 47, joined other Chicago Blackhawks alumni for the Winter Classic Alumni Game played
Dec. 31 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Simpson joined several other Blackhawks retirees, including Eric Daze, Darren Pang, Kyle Calder and Brian Noonan. Their opponents, former members of the St. Louis Blues, included Wayne Gretzky, Adam Oates, Brett Hull, Chris Pronger and Martin Brodeur.
Simpson managed one goal in a losing cause, as his Blackhawks fell 8-7 to the Blues before an outdoor crowd of more than 40,000 fans.
At one point in the day, Simpson and Gretzky posed together for a photo at centre ice. Blackhawks alumni forward Jim Cummins snapped the pic.
Simpson actually played for both the Blackhawks and the Blues during his career as a gritty NHL journeyman, lacing them up in 91 games for Chicago and 38 for St. Louis.
In 301 NHL games, Simpson tallied 18 goals, 18 assists, and 838 penalty minutes. He last saw NHL action for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003-04.
He left the sport after two seasons in Russia and a 14-game comeback with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2009-10.
During a 2012 visit to back to his hometown of Flin Flon, Simpson reflected on his hockey career.
“You take each experience and you try to learn from that,” he said “I did that on the ice as well as as a person. If you do the right thing, whether it’s on or off the ice, you will build some momentum and you’ll build what you need to be as a person.”
As a teenager, Simpson played for the Flin Flon Bombers, scoring 41 points in 40 games and adding 200 penalty minutes in 1985-86. He currently works as a scout for the Montreal Canadiens.
– With files from Jonathon Naylor
