The Great Simon Debate

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UPDATE: Trent Hunter signs 5 year extension.

The deal is worth approximately $10 million.
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There has been much debate in the hockey world as to whether enforcer Chris Simon should be given a third chance to prolong his career with the New York Islanders. With Simon’s most recent suspension about to expire, and with Isles’ coach Ted Nolan undoubted allegiance, it appears the Isles are ready to welcome Simon back whole-heartedly.

The New York Islanders team website has been promoting this return as some sort of a season-altering event—one that could help turn the Isles around and into a playoff contender. But I view this inevitable return as a franchise-altering event—one that clearly highlights the organizational shortsightedness and the main glaring detriment to Ted Nolan’s coaching career.

For those who have been living in a cave, I will provide you with a recap of Chris Simon’s recent altercations. The time was March 2007, and the Isles were fighting for their playoff lives. A game against the New York Rangers, with whom the Isles were competing with for a playoff spot, was to have a huge impact on the outcome on both teams’ seasons. The Isles had played a strong game, and the score was tied at 1 with about 5 minutes remaining in regulation. Then, after being cleanly checked by Ryan Hollweg, Chris Simon took his stick, and in lumberjack fashion, chopped Hollweg across the face. It was one of the most gruesome attacks in NHL history and it got Simon a record high 25 game suspension. More importantly, it put the Rangers on a 5-minute major power play, one that they ultimately scored on en route to victory. A chance at two hard-earned points ruined by one man’s ill-timed decision to take out his anger in an extraordinary vicious manner.

While many thought that was the end of Chris Simon’s NHL career (in part due to this altercation, but also due to his inability to compete in today’s quicker NHL), Ted Nolan went to the powers that be and requested that Simon be given another chance. He advocated how Simon had learned from his previous mistakes, how Simon was extremely sorry, and how playing hockey meant the world to Simon. Garth Snow and Charles Wang bought this pile of horse manure, and Simon was resigned and eligible to return this season after he finished his suspension from last season.

This season, Simon made his return, and it was very evident that he was far worse off (hockey-wise) than he was last year. He was slower than before and behind on every play. He wasn’t chipping in his usual goal and he certainly wasn’t providing the Isles with any toughness. Yet somehow, he was receiving time on the Isles’ PP. It began to make me wonder whether Simon actually deserved this second chance. He seemed better tempered and less angry, so I believed Nolan when he said we wouldn’t have to worry about another on-ice violent outburst. But Simon was a liability on the ice—his game consisted of constant turnovers and a weak fore-check. This is what first led me to question whether Nolan’s loyalty to Simon was beginning to prevent the former from seeing what was actually transpiring on the ice.

Then Simon’s career took another unfortunate spin. In another close game, and again at the end of the third period, Chris Simon again lost control of his anger and it cost the Isles another game. This time the Isles were trying to stage a 3rd period comeback against divisional rival Penguins, and with the Isles down by 1, Simon attempted to stomp on Jarko Ruutu, using his skate blade as a weapon. The Isles again were forced to kill off a major and again lost the game. Simon received a new record 30-game suspension (breaking his own record from last March), but more importantly proved to me that he hadn’t changed—that he simply might not be capable of changing. Less than 20 games since his last violent outburst, Simon comes back with an even more gruesome attempt to injure another player.

Some can overlook the fact that Simon obviously cannot control his anger and is prone to violent outbursts that put other players in constant danger. They will say violence is a part of the game. (Although I highly doubt the type of violence Simon inflicts is a part of hockey). But can those of you also overlook the fact that Simon is not a team-first guy, but instead a me-first player? Simon has twice received 5-minute major penalties in the last 5 minutes of competitive divisional games, while costing his team both contests. I’ve seen Ted Nolan bench players for taking poorly timed hooking penalties in the first period. I’ve seen Nolan bench players for a 5 game stint after a giveaway during a blowout game. But when it comes to Simon, apparently the usual rules don’t apply.

I’m not sure how a coach can justify having this guy out on the rink, with so few games to play, where every point from here on out matters. The two-points lost against the Rangers last season should have cost the Isles their season as the Isles only squeaked in due to Montreal and Toronto collapsing down the stretch. And if nothing else shows that Ted Nolan plays favorites, this blind loyalty to Simon certainly proves that Nolan will go out on a limb for some, while will leave others to drown on their own.

Simon could have severely injured two different players in less than a year (where only poor aim prevented this). He has put himself above the team and his antics should not be allowed to reenter the Isles locker room. Simon has disgraced the Isles' franchise, by being given a second chance and repaying them with an even more horrifying incident. But it is the Isles who will be disgracing themselves if Simon does don an Isles’ uniform again. It leads me to question the judgment of Nolan, Snow, and Wang, who are the only ones who had enough information to decide if Simon was indeed cured and ready to return this season. Turns out they were wrong once, and I’m pretty sure they'll be wrong again.

Remember that old saying..."fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me." The saying stopped there, because nobody has ever been foolish enough to let someone fool them THREE times.