Simon Gagné

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
Nickname(s)	Gags, Gimon Sagne
Height Weight	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg/13 st 13 lb)
NHL Team	Philadelphia Flyers
Nationality	Canada
Born	February 29, 1980 (1980-02-29) (age 28), Sainte-Foy, PQ, CAN
NHL Draft	22nd overall, 1998 Philadelphia Flyers
Pro career	1999 – present

Simon Gagné (February 29, 1980 in Sainte-Foy, Quebec) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays with the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL and is an alternate captain with the Flyers. Gagné currently has the longest tenure among current Flyer players.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] QMJHL

Gagné was 16 when he broke into the QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) as a member of the Beauport Harfangs during the 1996–97 season. Playing mostly on the third and fourth lines, Gagne finished with 31 points (9 goals and 22 assists) in 51 games. In two full seasons with the Québec Remparts, Gagne totaled 189 points, 80 goals and 109 assists, in 114 games, including a 120-point season in 1998-99. Gagné also recorded 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 25 career playoff matches with the Remparts. After the 1998-99 season, Gagné graduated to the pro ranks, and the Remparts retired Gagne's #12 jersey during a ceremony early on in the 1999–2000 season. Gagné joined Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur as the only two players that have had their jerseys retired by the Quebec Remparts.

[edit] Philadelphia Flyers

Gagné was drafted 22nd overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and made the Flyers out of training camp prior to the 1999-2000 season. His rookie season saw him score 20 goals and 28 assists in 80 games, good enough to be named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He chipped in 5 goals and 5 assists in 17 games during the playoffs before the Flyers lost in seven games to the New Jersey Devils. Playing on a line with Keith Primeau and Mark Recchi in 2000-01, Gagné scored 27 goals and 32 assists in 69 games and took part in his first NHL All-Star Game. During the NHL All-Star Game he scored 2 goals including the game winning goal for the North American team. 2001-02 saw him score 33 goals and tally a career high 33 assists in 79 games. A nagging groin injury limited Gagne to 46 games and career lows in goals, assists, and points in 2002-03. The next season, Gagné posted 24 goals and 21 assists in 80 games. He also scored a big overtime goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.^[1]

Once the 2004–05 NHL lockout came to an end, Gagné assumed a greater role on the Flyers and played most of the year as the left winger on the top line with Peter Forsberg and Mike Knuble. The line became known as the "Deuces Wild" line due to their numbers (12 - Gagné, 21 - Forsberg, 22 - Knuble) and Gagné responded with his best season as a pro with 47 goals and 79 points in 72 games. He was awarded the Bobby Clarke Trophy, which is awarded to the Flyers Team MVP. Gagné was given a 5-year contract extension in the off-season, worth over $25 million guaranteed. Despite not having Forsberg as his center for much of the 2006-07 season due to injury and Forsberg's eventual trade to the Nashville Predators, Gagné scored 41 goals and 27 assists in 76 games and won his second consecutive Bobby Clarke Trophy. He also played in his second NHL All-Star Game. In the 2007-2008 season, Gagne recorded just 18 points before being shut down for the year on February 20 after being told to sit out by doctors. Gagne had suffered three concussions in five months and played in just 25 games.

[edit] Awards

• 1998-99: Second All-Star Team (QMJHL)
• 1999-00: All-Rookie Team (NHL)
• 2000-01: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2000-01: Pelle Lindbergh Memorial (Philadelphia Flyers)
• 2001-02: Toyota Cup (Philadelphia Flyers)
• 2005-06: Bobby Clarke Trophy (Philadelphia Flyers)
• 2005-06: Toyota Cup (Philadelphia Flyers)
• 2006-07: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
• 2006-07: Bobby Clarke Trophy (Philadelphia Flyers)
• 2006-07: Toyota Cup (Philadelphia Flyers)

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] International play

Medal record
Competitor for Canada
Men's Ice Hockey
World Championships
Silver	2005	Vienna/Innsbruck
World Cup
Gold	2004	Toronto
Winter Olympics
Gold	2002	Salt Lake City
World Junior Championships
Silver	1999	Brandon/Winnipeg

Played for Canada in:

• 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
• 2002 Winter Olympics
• 2004 World Cup of Hockey
• 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships
• 2006 Winter Olympics

[edit] International statistics

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Simon Gagné's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Simon Gagné at TSN.ca
• Simon Gagné's biography at Legends of Hockey