Ex-Penguins forward Dominik Simon signs with Flames
Former Penguins forward Dominik Simon has signed a one-year contract with the Calgary Flames worth $700,000.
Simon, 26, spent parts of the past five seasons with the Penguins. In 2019-20, he appeared in 64 games and scored 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists). A left shoulder injury sustained Feb. 29 ended his season prematurely. A time frame of six to seven months for recovery was prescribed following surgery April 29.
Simon indicated his injury is fully healed during an interview with Sportsnet 960, a radio station in Calgary.
“It’s going all good,” said Simon, who has been working out for several months in his native Czech Republic. “I was lucky that it happened at the beginning of the year. I’ve been practicing 100% on the ice. And in the gym too. So it feels very good right now.
“All the rehab with the shoulder is done, and I’m getting ready for next season.”
A 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 137 overall), Simon (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this offseason but the Penguins declined to extend a qualifying offer and relinquished his signing rights.
“I’ve been in the organization for, like, five years,” Simon said. “But I feel like that’s hockey life. Sometimes you’ve got to change a team. I thank the Pittsburgh Penguins for everything they did for me. It was an amazing time there. Now, I can’t get any happier or more excited to be a Calgary Flame.”
Simon enjoyed ample playing time with franchise center Sidney Crosby throughout his tenure with the Penguins. Last season, his most common linemate in terms of five-on-five ice time was Crosby at 390:24 according to Natural Stat Trick.
“I was extremely lucky to be able to play with him,” Simon said. “He’s really, really competitive. He’s an amazing player. He’s an amazing guy too. When you’re on the ice, you don’t want to think about that you’re playing with him. Sometimes, you want to pass it to him a little more than you should. But the best games are when you think your own game. It was amazing. I was very lucky to play with him. I got to learn little stuff. It sounds very hard, but he makes it easier for his teammates to play with him.”
In 173 career games with the Penguins, the left-handed Simon had 64 points (19 goals, 45 assists).
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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