| 1985 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Craig Simpson
Selected in first round
No.
2 overall by Pittsburgh Penguins
Born
February 15, 1967
 | Position:
Center
Height: 6-2 Weight: 185
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|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Michigan State (CCHA)
Birthplace:
London, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown: London, Ontario |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1981-82 |
London | Jr. B |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1982-83 |
London | Jr. B |
42 | 47 |
64 | 111 |
68 | | 1983-84 |
Michigan State | CCHA |
46 | 14 |
43 | 57 |
38 | | 1984-85 |
Michigan State | CCHA |
42 | 31 |
53 | 84 |
33 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
NCAA All-America West First Team: 1984-85 (Michigan State)
Western Junior B Rookie of the Year: 1982-83 (London)
CCHA All-Star First Team: 1984-85 (Michigan State)
CCHA
Tournament All-Star First Team: 1985 (Michigan State)
Western
Junior B All-Star First Team: 1982-83 (London)
Michigan State Price Award (Points Leader): 1984-85 (84)
CCHA Points Leader: 1984-85 (Michigan State) (84 points)
Western Jr. B Points Leader: 1982-83 (London) (111 points)
Western Jr. B Goals Leader: 1982-83 (London) (47 goals)
Western Jr. B Assists Leader: 1982-83 (London) (64 assists)
Miscellaneous: Ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 1 overall
prospect for the 1985 NHL draft. ... Rated in The Hockey News draft
preview issue as No. 1 overall prospect for the 1985 NHL draft. ... Led
Michigan State with 84 points, 31 goals and 53 assists in 1984-85. ...
Completed Grade 11 and Grade 12 requirements in same year (1982-83) at
Oakridge Secondary School in London,
Ontario, so he could enter college at age 16. ...
Majored in business administration at Michigan State. ... Turned down invitation to join Team Canada for 1985 World Junior
Championships because he did not want to leave his Michigan State teammates
for any part of their CCHA conference schedule or the annual Great Lakes
Invitational tournament. ... Scored two goals for Michigan State in his
first college hockey game, on Oct. 14, 1983, vs. Northwestern. He was named
that game's No. 1 star. ... Led Michigan State 57 points and 43 assists as
a freshman in 1983-84 and tied for team lead with five game-winning goals. ... Wore No. 27 at Michigan State. ... Named CCHA
Player of Week twice during 1984-85 season. ... Was finalist for 1984-85
Hobey Baker Award. ... Played in Oakridge minor hockey system while growing
up in London, Ontario. ... Skipped third grade, and was one year younger
than classmates for remainder of his years in school. ... Was youngest
freshman ever to play at Michigan State University. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 10, 1985 (Montreal at
Pittsburgh)
Numbers: 18 (Pittsburgh); 18
(Edmonton); 22, 17 (Buffalo)
Stanley Cup: 1988, 1990.
Playing Status:
Retired August 24, 1995 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1985-1995 |
Pitt., Edmonton, Buff. |
634 | 247 |
250 | 497 |
659 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1988-1992 |
Edmonton | 67 |
36 | 32 |
68 | 56 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Edmonton Top First-Year Oiler Award: 1987-88
Edmonton Community
Service Award: 1989-90, 1990-91
50-Goal Seasons: 1987-88 (Pittsburgh-Edmonton) (56 goals)
NHL Shooting Percentage Leader: 1987-88 (Pitt.-Edm.) (31.6%), 1992-93
(Edmonton) (26.4%)
Club records: Montreal
NHL Playoffs Points Leader: 1990 (Edmonton) (31 points, tie)
NHL Playoffs Goals Leader:
1990 (Edmonton) (16 goals)
Edmonton Goals Leader: 1987-88 (43, tie)
Edmonton
Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1989-90 (180)
Edmonton Playoffs Points Leader: 1990 (31, tie)
Edmonton Playoffs
Goals Leader: 1990 (16)
Edmonton Playoffs Assists Leader: 1991
(11, tie)
Coaching Career: Named Edmonton assistant coach on Aug.
11, 2003, and remained in that position through 2006-07 season.
Broadcasting Career: Named commentator for TSN's "The Hockey Show" and
NHLPA's "Be a Player" show in 1996 and remained in that position through
1995-96 season. ... Named Los Angeles studio analyst prior to 1996-97 season
and remained in that position through 1997-98 season. ... Named Edmonton
studio analyst prior to 1998-99 season and remained in that position until
through 2000-01 season. ... Named Edmonton TV color commentator prior to
2001-02 season and remained in that position until Aug. 11, 2003.
Miscellaneous: Represented by his father, Donald Simpson, in his first NHL
contract negotiations, because he would lose his NCAA eligibility if he hired a certified NHL player agent before signing his first NHL contract.
... Signed four-year, $700,000 contract with Pittsburgh in August 1985,
making him the highest-paid member of the 1985 draft class. The fourth year
of Simpson's contract was a club option year. ... Moved from his natural position of center to right wing upon joining
Pittsburgh in 1985-86. He played the remainder of his NHL career at both
right and left wing. ... Played on line with Terry Ruskowski and Doug Shedden for
Pittsburgh in 1985-86. ... Missed part of 1986-87 season with bruised chest,
an injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Oct. 29, 1986, game at New Jersey. He
did not return to action until Pittsburgh's Nov. 8, 1986, game at Minnesota. ...
Missed part of 1986-87 season with pulled muscle in right hip, an injury
suffered during Pittsburgh's Feb. 28, 1987, game vs. Chicago. ... Missed
part of 1986-87 game with re-aggravation of hip injury, suffered during
Pittsburgh's March 5, 1987, game at Toronto. He did not return to
action until Pittsburgh's March 18, 1987, game vs. St. Louis. ... Shifted
from right wing to left wing after joining Edmonton in late November 1987.
He would play primarily at left wing for the remainder of his NHL career.
... Played on line with Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson for Edmonton in
1987-88. ... Scored his 50th goal of the 1987-88 season during Edmonton's March 15,
1988, game vs. Buffalo. With that goal, he became the first player in
NHL history to score 50 goals over a season played with more than one team. ... Finished second in NHL behind Mario Lemieux with
56 goals in 1987-88. ... Finished third in NHL with 22 power-play goals in
1987-88. ... Finished third in NHL with eight game-winning goals in 1987-88.
... Led Edmonton with 18 power-play goals in 1987-88. ... Scored three
points for Edmonton in his first NHL playoff game on April 6, 1988, vs.
Winnipeg. ... Finished second in NHL with 13 playoff goals in 1988. ...
Missed part of 1988-89 season with bruised right ankle, an injury suffered
while blocking a Brian Leetch slap shot during Edmonton's Dec. 4, 1988, game
vs. N.Y. Rangers. He did not return to action until Edmonton's Dec. 15,
1988, game at Boston. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with hairline
fracture in right ankle, related to his Dec. 4, 1988, injury that was
re-aggravated during Edmonton's Dec. 17, 1988, game at Harford. X-rays
revealed the fracture on Dec. 20, and Simpson did not return to action until
Edmonton's Jan. 8, 1989, game vs. Calgary. He had two assists in that game.
... Missed part of 1988-89 season with re-aggravation of right ankle injury,
suffered during Edmonton's Jan. 13, 1989, game at Washington. He did not
return until Edmonton's Jan. 20, 1989, game vs. Philadelphia. ...
Finished third among Campbell Conference left wings in fan balloting for
1989 NHL All-Star Game. ... Finished second in NHL with 28.9 percent
shooting percentage in 1988-89. ... Scored Stanley Cup-clinching goal at
9:31 of the second period of Game 5 of Edmonton's Stanley Cup Finals series
at Boston on May 24, 1990. The goal gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead in a game
Edmonton went on to win 4-1. ... Missed part of 1990-91 season with back
spasms, an injury suffered during Edmonton's Jan. 12, 1991, game at New
Jersey. He did not return to action until Edmonton's Jan. 17, 1991, game at
N.Y. Islanders. ... Suspended by NHL for three games during 1990-91 season
for cross-checking Steve Bozek in the shoulder in Edmonton's Jan. 23,
1991, game vs. Vancouver, causing a partial separation of Bozek's shoulder.
Simpson played several games after the incident, but following a review by
the NHL, the suspension was announced on Feb. 8, 1991, and Simpson did not
return until Edmonton's Feb. 14, 1991, game vs. Los Angeles. ... Led
Edmonton in shooting percentage in all four seasons between 1987-88 and
1990-91 and again in 1992-93. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with bruised chest, an injury
suffered during Edmonton's Nov. 3, 1991, game at Vancouver. ... Missed
remainder of 1992 playoffs with separated right shoulder, an injury suffered
when he was checked by Larry Robinson during Game 1 of Edmonton's
first-round series at Los Angeles on April 18, 1992. ... Missed part of
1992-93 season with strained lower back, a chronic injury that became
unbearable during
Edmonton's Jan. 3, 1993, game vs. Philadelphia. He did not return to action
until Edmonton's Jan. 13, 1993, game vs. Winnipeg. ... Missed part of 1992-93 season with
re-aggravation of lower back injury and pain in leg, suffered during Edmonton's Feb. 21, 1993, game
at Montreal. He
did not return to action until Edmonton's March 4, 1993, game vs. Winnipeg. ... Missed remainder
of 1992-93 season with protruded disc in lower back, an injury diagnosed
after Edmonton's March 6, 1993, game at Los Angeles. ... Scored goal in his
first game with Buffalo on Oct. 7, 1993, at Boston. ... Missed part of
1993-94 season with back injury, suffered during Buffalo's Nov. 17, 1993,
game at New Jersey. He did not return to action until Buffalo's Nov. 26,
1993, game vs. Ottawa. ... Played on line with Pat LaFontaine and Alexander
Mogilny for Buffalo in 1993-94. ... Missed half of 1993-94 season with
re-aggravation of back injury, suffered during Buffalo's Dec. 1, 1993, game
at Tampa Bay. He did not return to action until Buffalo's March 8, 1994,
game at San Jose. ... Missed remainder of 1993-94 season and entire 1994
playoffs with re-aggravation of back injury, suffered during Buffalo's March
8, 1994, game at San Jose. ... Missed part of 1995 season with pulled
hamstring, an injury suffered during Buffalo's Feb. 25, 1995, game at
Hartford. He did not return to action until Buffalo's March 11, 1995, game
at Pittsburgh. ... Missed part of 1995 season with re-aggravation of lower
back injury, suffered during Buffalo's March 21, 1995, game vs. Pittsburgh.
The injury required him to undergo nerve block surgery in California, and he
did not return until Buffalo's April 19, 1995, game at Boston. ... Missed
part of 1995 season with re-aggravation of back injury, suffered during
Buffalo's April 19, 1995, game at Boston. He did not return to action until
Buffalo's May 3, 1995, game vs. New Jersey. ... Missed remainder of 1995
season and entire 1995 playoffs with re-aggravation of lower back injury,
suffered during Buffalo's May 3, 1995, game vs. New Jersey. He never played
in the NHL after that, as the back problems ended his career, when at age
28, he accepted Buffalo's offer to buy out the final year of his contract in
August 1995.
Almost a Shark: Simpson found himself at the center of
an NHL controversy during the summer of 1993 after he signed an offer sheet
with San Jose as a restricted free agent on July 16, 1993. For the next 10
days, Simpson appeared to be Sharks property, but on July 26, 1993, NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman returned his rights to Edmonton by invalidating
the San Jose contract. The NHL Players Association challenged Bettman's
ruling and filed a lawsuit against the NHL on Aug. 18, 1993. The dispute
stemmed from the Sharks' belief that they did not owe Edmonton any
compensation because Simpson had signed a contract of less than $200,000 for
the 1993-94 season. Simpson had already rejected a $690,000 offer
made earlier in the summer by Edmonton, because it fell short of the minimum
15 percent raise that would keep him a restricted free agent. Simpson
and his agent, Don Meehan, therefore believed he was an unrestricted free agent. Nevertheless, it wasn't likely that he would be
willing to play for less than $200,000. In fact, the actual deal with San
Jose was for $3 million over three years, but most of the money was
structured as a bonus payout so as to exploit a loophole in the Collective
Bargaining Agreement that said teams did not have to give compensation if a
free agent signed for less than $200,000. Oilers general manager Glen Sather
called San Jose's move "a bogus offer." Bettman agreed, saying the
Sharks' offer "was an obvious attempt to circumvent the rules."
The NHLPA, in its lawsuit, demanded that an arbitrator be brought in to
decide the case, and Simpson demanded that Edmonton trade him if he was
forced to return to the Oilers. While waiting for a resolution of the
lawsuit Simpson then said he would sign an offer sheet with Buffalo if the
Oilers did not trade him. The situation was finally resolved on Sept. 1,
1993, when Sather traded Simpson to Buffalo in exchange for Jozef Cierny and
a conditional draft pick. A happy Simpson then signed with Buffalo, and the
NHLPA dropped its lawsuit after San Jose said it would no longer try to
claim Simpson. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
None
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Education: Completed bachelor's degree at
Michigan State during off-seasons of his early NHL playing days.
Miscellaneous:
Took over as resident of Wayne Gretzky's penthouse apartment in Edmonton
after Gretzky was traded to Los Angeles in September 1988. ...
Was active in charitable causes during his playing days, including work to
help raise money for cystic fibrosis research and as honorary chairman of
the Edmonton Muscular Dystrophy Association and Edmonton Spinal Cord Injury
Treatment Centre. ... Organized annual celebrity
slo-pitch softball game to raise money for charities in London, Ontario, during summer of
1989. ... Organized annual "Never Say Never" golf tourney to aid Edmonton
Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre and Craig Simpson & Friends Charity Fund
in summer of 1989. ... Served as president of Edmonton Oilers Alumni
association after retirement. ... Founded Craig Simpson Hockey School in
Edmonton in summer of 2000. ... Voiced color commentary for EA Sports'
NHL 2004, NHL 2005 and NHL 2006 games.
Personal: Full name is Craig Andrew
Simpson. ... Son of 1952 Canadian track & field Olympic athlete Marion
Simpson. ... Younger brother of former minor-leaguer Dave Simpson. ...
Younger brother of Rogers Sportsnet reporter Christine (Chris) Simpson. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
Pittsburgh traded Simpson, Dave Hannan, Moe Mantha and Chris Joseph to
Edmonton in exchange for Paul Coffey, Dave Hunter and Wayne Van Dorp on
November 24, 1987. |
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