Shawn Simpson (born August 10, 1968) is a Canadian retired
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) 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. In ice hockey, two o ...
player and former on-air personality with
TSN 1200
CFGO is a commercial AM radio station in Ottawa, Ontario, broadcasting on 1200 kHz. It is owned by Bell Media and broadcasts a sports radio format, using the brand name ''TSN 1200 Ottawa''. The radio studios and offices are in the Bell Med ...
radio in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. After retiring as a player, Simpson worked in the front office for both the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
and the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
organizations. He was the first
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
chosen in the
1986 NHL draft
The 1986 NHL Entry Draft was the 24th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 21, 1986, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the revers ...
, taken 60th overall by the Washington Capitals. Simpson was a member of the 1987 Canadian national junior team that was disqualified from the
World Junior Championship for their involvement in the infamous "
Punch-up in Piestany
The Punch-up in Piestany was a bench-clearing brawl between Canada men's national junior ice hockey team, Canada and the Soviet Union national junior ice hockey team, Soviet Union during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Champion ...
". Simpson was also a 1st-team OHL all-star in 1987.
Bio
Simpson was born in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
. His professional playing career was short, with only 35 games played over three seasons for the
Baltimore Skipjacks
The Baltimore Skipjacks were a minor league professional ice hockey team from Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The Skipjacks originated in 1979, and played as the Baltimore Clippers in the Eastern Hockey League for two seasons. The team wa ...
, Washington's affiliate team in the
AHL. He never played in an NHL game, although in 1988 and 1990 he dressed and sat on the bench twice as a
back-up goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near ...
for the Capitals in playoff games. After retiring due to injury, Simpson joined the Capitals' television network, where he worked for two years as a colour commentator while completing law school at Georgetown University. He then served as a scout in the Washington Capitals organization for the next six years. In 1997, Simpson was promoted to director of hockey operations for the Capitals, and he also served as the general manager of the AHL's Portland Pirates, the Capitals' main affiliate.
In 2004, Simpson left the Capitals organization and joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a professional scout. In June 2008, Simpson was fired as part of a general shake-up in the Leafs organization. In April 2009, Simpson was hired by
Glen Hanlon
Glen A. Hanlon (born February 20, 1957) is a Canadian ice hockey coach, executive and former goaltender.
Hanlon played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. He is a ...
, with whom he had previously worked in Washington, to be the deputy director of hockey operations for
HC Dinamo Minsk
Hockey Club Dinamo Minsk (russian: Дина́мо-Минск; be, Дынама-Мінск, ''Dynama-Minsk'') is an ice hockey team based in Minsk, Belarus. They are members of the Tarasov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Dinamo has q ...
in the
KHL
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs b ...
. Both men were fired in October 2009. Later that same year, Simpson became the president of the
Cape Cod Cubs
The Cape Cod Islanders were a Tier III junior ice hockey team from Massachusetts. They were most recently a member of the North American 3 Hockey League and played at the Falmouth Ice Arena in Falmouth, Massachusetts. In 2019, they announced the ...
of the
International Junior Hockey League
International Junior Hockey League was an independent Junior B ice hockey league. The League had teams in New England and Mid Atlantic United States.
League History
The league formed in 2005 out of the Interstate Junior Hockey League with tea ...
.
Simpson began working for sports radio station
The Team 1200
CFGO is a commercial AM radio station in Ottawa, Ontario, broadcasting on 1200 kHz. It is owned by Bell Media and broadcasts a sports radio format, using the brand name '' TSN 1200 Ottawa''. The radio studios and offices are in the Bell Media B ...
in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
in January 2012, where he co-hosted "The Drive" with Dave Gross, as well as the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
post-game broadcasts.
In October 2013,
The Team 1200
CFGO is a commercial AM radio station in Ottawa, Ontario, broadcasting on 1200 kHz. It is owned by Bell Media and broadcasts a sports radio format, using the brand name '' TSN 1200 Ottawa''. The radio studios and offices are in the Bell Media B ...
was rebranded as TSN 1200. Simpson hosted "Mornings" with co-host John Rodenburg. He was terminated by Bell Media on June 14, 2023.
External links
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Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Shawn
1968 births
Living people
Baltimore Skipjacks players
Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Oshawa Generals players
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds players
Ice hockey people from Vancouver
Washington Capitals draft picks
Canadian expatriate sportspeople in Belarus
Washington Capitals announcers
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States