Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds TKO's Michael Pezzetta in what could be his last game as a leaf
Now 34 years old and in the last year of a contract that pays just $900K, tonight Wayne Simmonds will perhaps play his last game in Toronto for his hometown Maple Leafs. Only playing in 17 games this season, spending most of it as a healthy scratch, Simmonds is unlikely to play in the playoffs being used rarely in a fighter role.
In potentially his final home game, possibly even the final game of his career, Simmonds had an opportunity to do what he does best against the Leafs' forever rival, the Montreal Canadiens. In the dying minutes of the first period, Simmonds challenged Habs forward Michael Pezzetta, and once again proved his reputation of the league's best fighter correct with a KO win.
Simmonds was quickly able to get a grip against Pezzetta and knock him off balance, and began feeding him punches until Pezzetta gave up.
The Toronto crowd gave their hometown enforcer an incredible ovation during and after the fight, honouring the last time they'll see the event. Simmonds quickly became a fan favourite in Toronto, being a blue-collar Scarborough native who was proud of representing the Leafs. He would do anything for the team, and tonight, Leaf fans were able to thank him for it.
Maple Leafs fans gave their hometown tough guy an incredible ovation during and after the fight, appreciating what could be his last career fight. Simmonds instantly became a fan favourite in for the Maple Leafs, being a blue-collar Scarborough kid who was proud of his roots and representing the city. When Simmonds chose to come to Toronto at the end of his career, he gave them everything he possibly could, and tonight Leaf fans could thank him for it.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 8 | 282 ANSWERS Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds TKO's Michael Pezzetta in what could be his last game as a leaf Does Wayne Simmonds make the playoff roster? | ||
| Yes | 146 | 51.8 % |
| No | 136 | 48.2 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||