| Craig Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 15, 1967 London, ON, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) |
| Position | Left wing / right wing |
| Shot | Right |
| Played for | Edmonton Oilers Pittsburgh Penguins Buffalo Sabres |
| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 1985 Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Playing career | 1985–1996 |
Craig Andrew Simpson (born February 15, 1967) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. He is currently a broadcaster, involved in Hockey Night in Canada telecasts.
Contents |
Simpson played Collegiate hockey for the Michigan State Spartans of the NCAA from 1983–84 to 1984–85.
He was drafted in the 1st Round, 2nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. Midway through his third NHL season, he was traded as part of a package to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Paul Coffey. Simpson blossomed in Edmonton, playing on a line with future Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson. He scored a career high 56 regular season goals during the 1987–88 season, and won two Stanley Cups with the Oilers, in 1988 and 1990. He would be dealt to the Buffalo Sabres prior to the 1993-94 season.
Simpson suffered a serious back injury in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 1, 1993. Though he continued to play, the injury would eventually end his playing career at age 28. He retired as a player in 1996, finishing with 497 career NHL points. He holds the record for best career shooting percentage (minimum 800 shots) with 23.66%. He also holds the record for best career playoff shooting percentage (minimum 80 shots) with 33.65%, well ahead of second place Ken Linseman (23.21%).
After retiring as a player, Simpson joined FOX television as a hockey analyst. In 1998, Simpson joined CTV Sportsnet as a colour commentator for Edmonton Oilers regional games, as well as the network's weekly national broadcasts. He left in 2003 to become an assistant coach with the Oilers. After the 2006–07 season, he resigned from his position with the club to take a job as a colour commentator for CBC Television, alongside former Sportsnet partner Jim Hughson. Beginning in the 2008-09 season, Hughson and Simpson are the primary Hockey Night in Canada broadcast team and call the Stanley Cup Finals.
Simpson is also the colour commentator man in the EA Sports NHL franchise, along with play-by-play partner Hughson. Simpson also appears in TV commercials and print ads for Carpet Superstores of Edmonton.
On March 22, 2008, Hughson and Simpson called the NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche at 1 p.m. MDT. They then boarded a chartered plane to Calgary where the pair then announced the third game of the Hockey Night in Canada triple-header between the Calgary Flames and the Minnesota Wild at 8 p.m. MDT. This is believed to be a first in the National Hockey League.[1]
On January 30, 2010 during Hockey Day in Canada Simpson was given the opportunity to do the colour commentating along side Jim Hughson in the Canucks at Leafs marquee game.
Simpson joined his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, in 2005 and served as an assistant coach of the team. He helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2005–06 season.
In 2009, Simpson participated in the first season of CBC's "Battle of the Blades", a made-for-TV figure-skating competition that paired eight former NHL stars with female figure skaters. Simpson and his partner, Jamie Salé, won the competition on Monday November 16, 2009.
Simpson is the younger brother of former CHL Player of the Year Dave Simpson and Rogers Sportsnet reporter Christine Simpson. He and his wife Christine separated in 2010 after his affair with Jamie Sale, his partner in Battle of the Blades. The Simpsons have 3 teenage children. He is also the son of Canadian Olympic athlete Marion Simpson.
Simpson's son, Dillon Simpson, was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 4th round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[2][3] He is currently a defenseman at the University of North Dakota.[2][4]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1983–84 | Michigan State University | NCAA | 46 | 14 | 43 | 57 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Michigan State University | NCAA | 42 | 31 | 53 | 84 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 76 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 72 | 26 | 25 | 51 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 21 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Edmonton Oilers* | NHL | 59 | 43 | 21 | 64 | 43 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 26 | ||
| 1988–89 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 35 | 41 | 76 | 80 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1989–90 | Edmonton Oilers* | NHL | 80 | 29 | 32 | 61 | 180 | 22 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 8 | ||
| 1990–91 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 75 | 30 | 27 | 57 | 66 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 12 | ||
| 1991–92 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 24 | 37 | 61 | 80 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 60 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 22 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 24 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 634 | 247 | 250 | 497 | 659 | 67 | 36 | 32 | 68 | 56 | ||||