Simon Després
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Simon Després (born July 27, 1991) is a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
who is currently playing with
Glasgow Clan The Glasgow Clan (formerly ''Braehead Clan'') are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. It was formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the west of Scotland market, and are based at the Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire. ...
of the UK's
Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...
(EIHL). He was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
and has also played for the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
. During a game in 2015, he suffered a severe concussion that complicated his career due to recurring symptoms, forcing him to miss nearly all Ducks games to follow; out of concern for his condition, the Ducks bought him out. He later signed with
HC Slovan Bratislava Hockey Club Slovan Bratislava () is a professional ice hockey club based in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2012, it left the Tipsport Liga (hockey), Slovak Extraliga and joined the international Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In 2019, it returned to ...
of the
Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs. It was considered in ...
, before attempting to return to the NHL via the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
who assigned him to the Rocket, their AHL affiliate.


Playing career

As a youth, Després played in the 2004
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...
with a
minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...
team from
Laval, Quebec Laval is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is in the southwest of the province, north of Montreal. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third-largest city in the province after Montreal and Quebec City, and the thirteenth largest city in Can ...
.


Amateur

Després began his major junior ice hockey career with the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...
(QMJHL)'s
Saint John Sea Dogs The Saint John Sea Dogs are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Saint John, New Brunswick. Founded as an expansion team in 2005, the Sea Dogs play their home games at TD Station and ...
, who acquired Després with the first overall selection at the 2007 QMJHL Entry Draft. He scored his first QMJHL goal on September 23, 2007, against the
Lewiston Maineiacs The Lewiston Maineiacs were a junior ice hockey team of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based in Lewiston, Maine, United States. The team played its home games at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. They were the second QMJHL team in the Unite ...
. After two seasons of play, Després was rated as the top professional prospect in the QMJHL by several scouting bureaus and media outlets in anticipation of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft (June 26–27 in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
). On June 26, 2009, he was drafted 30th overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the League's recently crowned
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
champions, the
Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
. Remaining with Saint John for the 2009–10 season, Després appeared in 63 games, scoring nine goals and 47 points, as the Sea Dogs had a League-best 109 points. He helped the Sea Dogs reach the
President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world except Europe as that continent competes against the United States in a similar but ...
finals, though Saint John lost to the
Moncton Wildcats The Moncton Wildcats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Moncton, New Brunswick. The franchise was granted for the 1995–96 QMJHL season, 1995–96 season known as the Moncton A ...
in six games. In 21 playoff games, he had two goals and 19 points. In
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, Després was limited to 47 games, but increased his goal scoring output to 13 goals, on his way to recording 41 points and winning the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the QMJHL's best defenceman. After helping
Team Canada Canadian National Team or Team Canada may refer to: Canada at multi-sport events * Canada at the Olympics ** Canadian Olympic Committee * Canada at the Paralympics ** Canadian Paralympic Committee * Canada at the Commonwealth Games * Canada at ...
win silver in
2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2011 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred to as the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2011 WJHC''), was the 35th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was hosted by the United States. The games were play ...
, Després and the Sea Dogs capped off their season by winning the President's Cup on their way to a
Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...
championship victory.


Professional

Després played his first career NHL game on December 1, 2011, with the Penguins against the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
. He earned his first NHL point on an assist on
Chris Kunitz Christopher Kunitz (born September 26, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Anaheim Ducks (where he won his first Stanley Cup in 2007), Atlanta Thrashers, the ...
's goal; he also posted a +2 plus-minus rating on the night. Després' scored his first career NHL goal on December 17, 2011, against
Ryan Miller Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...
of the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
. Després made his
Stanley Cup playoff The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
debut on April 18, 2012, against the
Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
, logging 11:22 of ice time and finishing with a +2 plus-minus rating. On the night, Després became the first-ever Saint John Sea Dogs alumnus to play in a Stanley Cup playoff game. One day after Pittsburgh was eliminated from the 2012 playoffs by the Flyers, he was reassigned to the team's
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (sometimes known as the WBS Penguins) are a professional ice hockey team based in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Pengui ...
, on April 23 to participate in their run in the
2012 Calder Cup playoffs The 2012 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 19, 2012, with a slightly different playoff format than in other recent years. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, will play a best-of-five serie ...
. On March 2, 2015, Després was traded to the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
in exchange for defenceman Ben Lovejoy. Després scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal on May 22 against
Corey Crawford Corey Crawford (born December 31, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Crow" by teammates and fans, he played his entire professional career with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), w ...
of the
Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
in the 2015 Western Conference Finals. The goal, the eventual game-winner in a 2–1 Ducks victory, was assisted by teammates
Ryan Getzlaf Ryan Getzlaf (born May 10, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Getzlaf played his entire NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer. A first-round selection, 19th overall, at the 20 ...
and
Cam Fowler Cameron Matthew Fowler (born December 5, 1991) is a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 12th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2010 NHL entry dr ...
. On October 16, 2015, Després suffered a
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...
as a result of an illegal hit from
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
defenceman Tyson Barrie. Després missed 42 games to follow, while Barrie was suspended for three. In the 2016–17 season, Després featured in the opening game against the
Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
before recurring concussion symptoms ruled him out from the remainder of the season. With his future uncertain because of his medical history, and due to salary cap constraints, the Anaheim Ducks opted to buy-out the remaining three years of his contract on June 16, 2017. With the remainder of his contract valued at
US $ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
15.9 million, he will only be paid $5.3 million of it over the next eight seasons. In August 2017, it was announced that Després had signed a one-year contract to play in the
KHL The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs. It was considered in ...
as a member of
HC Slovan Bratislava Hockey Club Slovan Bratislava () is a professional ice hockey club based in Bratislava, Slovakia. In 2012, it left the Tipsport Liga (hockey), Slovak Extraliga and joined the international Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In 2019, it returned to ...
. The decision will alleviate the Ducks' salary cap concerns regarding his buyout. In the 2017–18 season, Després returned to health and gradually increased his ice-time with Bratislava, registering 4 goals and 11 points in 44 games. As a free agent, Després was offered an attempt of a comeback to the NHL, in accepting an invitation to the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
training camp on July 12, 2018. In the midst of the 2018–19 season, Després agreed to a professional try-out contract with the Canadiens AHL affiliate, the
Laval Rocket The Laval Rocket () are a professional ice hockey team based in Laval, Quebec. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL. The Rocket play ...
, on December 3, 2018. He appeared in 5 games, posting 1 goal and 2 points, over the following month for Laval. At the conclusion of his try-out with Laval, Després rejected a contract offer to remain with the club and was released on January 3, 2019. Després returned to play a month later, returning to Europe in signing for the remainder of the season with German club,
Kölner Haie The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany, that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL. The ''Kölner Haie'' play their ho ...
of the
Deutsche Eishockey Liga The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called Penny (supermarket), PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga) (; English: ''German Ice Hockey League'') or DEL, is a professional ice hockey league in Germany and the highest division in German i ...
(DEL), on February 11, 2019. On July 5, 2019, Després extended his career in Europe, agreeing to a one-year contract with newly promoted Swedish club, IK Oskarshamn of the SHL. After spells with
Eisbären Berlin The Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also ...
and
EC VSV EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV are an ice hockey team in the ICE Hockey League. They play their home games at Stadthalle (capacity approximately 4,500 spectators) in Villach, Austria. The team colors are blue and white. Their mascot is an eagle - Vill ...
, Després moved to the UK to sign for
Nottingham Panthers The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. RHPS are the Panthers' major sponsor for 2024–25. The Nottingham Panthers have won four league ...
in November 2023. In June 2024, Després moved from Nottingham to fellow
EIHL The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...
side
Glasgow Clan The Glasgow Clan (formerly ''Braehead Clan'') are a Scottish professional ice hockey team. It was formed in 2010 as the UK Elite Ice Hockey League expanded into the west of Scotland market, and are based at the Braehead Arena in Renfrewshire. ...
.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


Awards and honours


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Despres, Simon 1991 births Living people Anaheim Ducks players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey defencemen Eisbären Berlin players Glasgow Clan players Kölner Haie players Laval Rocket players Ice hockey people from Laval, Quebec NHL first-round draft picks Nottingham Panthers players IK Oskarshamn players Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks Pittsburgh Penguins players Saint John Sea Dogs players San Diego Gulls (AHL) players HC Slovan Bratislava players EC VSV players Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Austria 21st-century Canadian sportsmen