Wayne Simmonds spoke in a press conference before he is honored at the Wells Fargo Center about how much being a Flyer meant to him as a player, and how it means even more now that he's retiring as one.
"The words 'true Flyer' are thrown around a lot, but Wayne was the consummate Flyer," Flyers Director of Hockey Operations Keith Jones said in the opening of Wayne Simmonds' Retirement Night press conference. "Tough as nails, the first guy to be there to protect his teammates, a really productive player at the same time. It's tough to do all of those things. He gave back, not just to his team, his coaching staff, his managers, but to the community. A really important piece of the Flyers' history, and it's great to have you back."
Simmonds is one of the most beloved Flyers in the organization's history, gaining a legion of fans with his hard-nosed style of play and his ability to hold himself and his team accountable, no matter the circumstances.
Arriving in Philadelphia as a fresh-faced 22-year-old, Simmonds wasted no time in showing the fans the kind of player he was, and the rest, as they say, is history.
"I was born to be a Flyer," he stated. "Just the way I went about it, played my game—I started out in L.A., got traded here, and it was just perfect. There's no other place I'd want to play. The tough blue-collar mentality, score goals, hit, protect your teammates, take care of your friends on and off the ice and in the community as well—that's the human I am. It was the perfect fit.
"I remember in my second game playing against the New Jersey Devils, I remember fighting David Clarkson, and after that, it was just an outpouring of love and support for me. I'll never forget that, ever."
He added that, across the entirety of his career as a Flyer, the famously passionate fanbase was a huge part of why playing in Philadelphia meant so much to him.
"The fans mean everything," he said. "Without the fans, you're not able to do what you can do. Especially in this city, this market, the fanbase is unbelievable. For me personally, they're what drove me...You don't really realize the impact you have when you're doing it. That's not why you do it. You just do it because you like giving back, and that's the way I always thought of it. To sit here and see the impact is crazy.
"I did a signing last night, and seeing kids come back that I had taken pictures with when I was here and seeing how big they are and seeing how excited people were to see me. You've got a wait for a minute, you don't really think about stuff like that. You've got stuff at home, kids, and family, and you don't really think about it. But then you come back and you realize it again. It sparks something in you."
Simmonds may have impacted the Flyers organization in countless different ways, but he has never forgotten the impact the team had on him as a player and as a person.
"I've been flying by the seat of my pants my whole career, just hoping to get that next game, that next shift," he said. "Yo become the player I was...never satisfied, always wanted more, always thinking about the present and not what was ahead of me.
"I had the greatest eight years of my life in this city, and there's no other way I'd want to go back, other than to be remembered as a Flyer. For me, this is extremely special...I've been reminiscing a lot since I've been here. I have three small children...and to be able to bring them here and allow them to see where I grew up pretty much—I became a man in Philadelphia. For me to be able to show them what the city means to me is extremely special. I'm kind of at a loss for words. I'm extremely honored to be a Flyer for the rest of my life."
He stated in an earlier press conference that his three children aren't very familiar with their father's career as a Flyer, but since coming back to the city to prepare for his Retirement Night, they're starting to come around.
"We were over at the practice facility the other day, and my middle daughter ripped off her sweater and put on her Flyers jersey immediately. It's very cool to see...I got a little bit of work to do with my oldest daughter because she likes the Leafs, but I think we can figure that one out. It's just been a very special couple of days for my family."
He added: "At home, everything is Philly. Everything's black and orange for me at home."
To have Simmonds retire as a Flyer and get to be properly honored in the city that he loved and that loved him back even harder is perhaps no better summed up than how Jones stated, "It's awesome to have him back here. It just feels right."
