Craig Simpson

Craig Andrew Simpson (born 15 February 1967 London, Ontario ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current coach, who for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres played from 1985 to 1995 in the National Hockey League.

Career

After two seasons at Michigan State University, Simpson was selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1985 in the first round in second place of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Right in the 1985/86 season he made ​​his breakthrough. While the Penguins Mario Lemieux looked at everything, to Simpson performed well in its shade. In his third season, he managed to start more than one point per game, but with the upgraded one Penguins to larger goals. With Paul Coffey Pens committed one of the strongest offensive defenders in the league. With him came, among others, Dave Hunter to Pittsburgh. In return, Simpson was released together with Dave Hannan, Moe Mantha and Chris Joseph to the Edmonton Oilers.

He was initially very unhappy about the change, but he soon found his place in the team led by Wayne Gretzky. He played in a row with Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson and played right away the best season of his career. For both teams, he scored in the 1987/88 season 56 goals and 90 points. The highlight, however, was followed in the playoffs, when he could win the Stanley Cup with the Oilers. Even after the departure of Gretzky, he was successful. When the Oilers again were able to win the Stanley Cup in the 1989/90 season, he was in the playoffs with 16 goals and 31 points most successful scorer, along with Mark Messier.

In the 1992/93 season his complaints began with the back. Thanks to an excellent hit rate of 26.4 percent, he finished third in the team-internal scorer standings. Despite missing 20 games, he was only two points behind the leader.

In exchange for Jozef Čierny and a draft law he moved to the Buffalo Sabres. His back pain left him in the next two years, only 46 will contest before he had to end his active career in 1995.

After several years as a TV commentator, he returned as assistant coach of his former teammate Craig MacTavish to the Edmonton Oilers. From 2007 he worked for the television again. With his partner Jim Hughson commentator he commented after a game in Edmonton the same evening another game in Calgary.

NHL stats

Sporting successes

  • Stanley Cup: 1988 and 1990

Personal Awards

  • CCHA First All -Star Team: 1985
  • NCAA West First All-American Team: 1985
  • Top scorer of the playoffs in the 1989/90 season (31 points)
  • Best hit ratio in the season 1992 /93 ( 26.4%)
London (Ontario) 1985 NHL Entry Draft 1985–86 NHL season Chris Joseph (ice hockey) 1987–88 NHL season 1989–90 NHL season 1992–93 NHL season
206211
de