Charles Robert Simmer (born March 20, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward, most notably for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League, who was known for his scoring prowess.
He was traded in 1977 to the Los Angeles Kings, but spent the season with the Springfield Indians of the AHL, winning All-Star accolades. The next season Simmer was promoted halfway through the campaign to the Kings, and scored 21 goals in 39 games.
While with the Kings, he played left wing on the "Triple Crown Line" with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor, one of the most potent and famed forward lines of the era. Despite injuries costing him significant playing time, Simmer had back-to-back 56-goal seasons and leading the NHL in goals during the 1979-80 season. Further being named an NHL first team All-Star in 1980 and 1981. In the latter season, Simmer almost accomplished one of hockey's most difficult feats: scoring 50 goals in 50 games. Simmer entered his 50th game with 46 goals and scored three times to finish just shy of the mark; that same night, Mike Bossy became only the second player in NHL history to score 50 in 50. Simmer scored his 50th goal the following night in his 51st game. Simmer's shooting percentage of 32.75 in 1981 was, and remains, an NHL record. Two months later, during a game on March 31 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens, Simmer missed a check on defensemen Borje Salming that saw one leg fly in the air while his right skate was caught in the ice, which resulted in a broken right leg. During the 1983-84 season Simmer scored 44 goals and 48 assists leading to him playing in the 1984 NHL all star game and being awarded the Bill Libby Memorial Award as the kings most valuable player.
Simmer was traded at the beginning of the 1985 season to the Boston Bruins, where despite the cumulative effects of several injuries throughout his career, he starred for three more seasons. One season saw him miss games with a broken jaw. In 1986, Simmer won the Bill Masterton Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to hockey; in that season, he missed nearly 20 games with a knee injury before coming back only to be struck in the eye by a stick during a game where he narrowly missed losing sight in. Despite all these injuries Simmer still found a way to be a consistent scorer for the Bruins throughout his tenure tallying 60 plus points all 3 seasons. As well as scoring 20 plus goals every year.
Simmer played his final NHL season, for the Pittsburgh Penguins, in 1988. He subsequently played the 1989 season for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga scoring 51 points in 35 games. Then after a season off, he then spent parts of two seasons as a player-coach for the minor league San Diego Gulls before retiring.
He was formerly married to one-time Playboy Playmate of the Year Terri Welles; the couple had one daughter. He subsequently remarried in 1995 to Jody and together they had a son and a daughter. Simmer spent years as a color commentator for the Arizona Coyotes and the Calgary Flames on Sportsnet.
After his career ended, he resided in Calgary for a number of years before moving to Texas along with his wife in the mid-2010s to work with Decca, a consulting company specializing in oil and gas after they bought out his company.
1971–72 | Kenora Muskies | MJHL | 77 | — |
1972–73 | Kenora Muskies | MJHL | 57 | — |
1973–74 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHA | 137 | — |
1974–75 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 26 | — |
1974–75 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 86 | — |
1975–76 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 22 | — |
1975–76 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 96 | — |
1976–77 | Cleveland Barons | NHL | 16 | — |
1976–77 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 37 | — |
1977–78 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 2 | — |
1977–78 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 100 | 5 |
1978–79 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 16 | 2 |
1978–79 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 33 | — |
1979–80 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 65 | 0 |
1980–81 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 62 | — |
1981–82 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 42 | 22 |
1982–83 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 51 | — |
1983–84 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 78 | — |
1984–85 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 4 | — |
1984–85 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 35 | 2 |
1985–86 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 42 | 4 |
1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 59 | 2 |
1987–88 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 24 | — |
1988–89 | Frankfurt Lions | GER | 68 | 13 |
1990–91 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 63 | — |
1991–92 | San Diego Gulls | IHL | 0 | — |
1983 | Canada | WC | 8 | |
|
|