Flyers Fan Favorite Joins Philadelphia Front Office

The Philadelphia Flyers have rostered their fair share of hard-working fan favorites throughout their history, including the recently retired Wayne Simmonds. The ex-2007 second-rounder played 584 of his 1,037 career games with the franchise before signing a one-day contract to retire as a Flyer back in March.

While some players prefer to stay away from hockey during their post-playing days, that isn't the case for Simmonds. The Flyers revealed on Friday that the former 2018-19 Mark Messier Leadership Award winner will be joining the team in a front-office role for the upcoming season.

According to the club's press release , the 36-year-old will work as a community relations ambassador and hockey operations consultant.

Simmonds' new job also leads him to a reunion with Flyers general manager and former teammate Daniel Briere. The duo played together in Philadelphia from 2011 to 2013, leaving time to tell if they can rekindle their chemistry off the ice.

Simmonds was one of the NHL's toughest players throughout his 15-year career. Not only did his big body help him rack up 263 goals and 526 points, but also played a role in his tallying 1,913 hits, 466 blocked shots and 1,313 penalty minutes. With that experience, he might excel at helping the Flyers find prospects with similar potential.

Furthermore, Simmons could be a great community ambassador for the franchise. The Owen Sound product has displayed his big part by participating in charities wherever he goes , including various initiatives such as " Wayne's Road Warriors " and " Wayne’s Warriors " which work with underprivileged youth and military members, respectively.

Between his on-ice performances and off-ice community involvement, it's clear that Simmonds will remain a Flyers fan favorite for the foreseeable future.