Ben Simon In Right Place At The Right Time For NHL Coaching Call Up

Growing up in Northeast Ohio, Grand Rapids Griffins Head Coach Ben Simon was just your normal run-of-the-mill kid who played multiple sports and caused a raucous with his siblings. “In the summer we were just kids who rode around on our bikes, caused a little trouble, and kept my parents on their toes,” said Simon. 

For the Simon family, hockey was a fun game that they loved to play. As the years drew on and Simon grew older, playing hockey in college became his main goal. In 1996, that dream came to fruition when he started playing for the University of Notre Dame. For four years, Simon was a staple for the Fighting Irish offense racking up 130 points and earning the honor of captain his senior year. Due to his scoring prowess and hard working nature, doors began to open for Simon. “From that point things just kind of opened up as a player,” explained Simon, “99% of life is time and place. I’ve been at the right time and place sometime and I’ve had some heck of opportunities afforded to me.” Some of those opportunities include playing 11 seasons across multiple professional leagues before transitioning to a role behind the bench. Most of Simon’s 11 seasons coaching has been with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins as both an Assistant and a Head Coach.

On Saturday, December 18th, 2021, Simon added NHL Head Coach to his resume. Yet again, another case of right place, right time led to his callup to the Detroit Red Wings.

While preparing for a weekend home-stand in Grand Rapids, Simon received a phone call from Red Wings General Manager Steve Yzerman explaining they would be calling up more people due to more cases of COVID. Some of those people would be coaches and he was one of them.

When Simon answered the phone he did not anticipate that the conversation would lead to him acting as Head Coach of the Wings as they played against the New Jersey Devils. While players typically are called up to the parent club throughout the season, coaches typically are not. “The goal is to always make it to the highest level but as a coach, you’re really worried about your group and how you’re improving your group on a daily basis,” said Simon.

So, when Yzerman explained Simon would be behind the bench on Saturday night, he went through a lot of emotions. “There’s a lot of moving pieces. A little bit of everything,” explained Simon on what went through his head when he got the call. “A little anxiety, A little panic. A little excitement.” With all of these emotions swirling around in his head, Simon still knew this was a short-term stint and he needed to make the best of it. “It’s going to be short-lived. Jeff (Blashill) will be back very soon,” said Simon about the situation.

There is no rookie lap for coaches in the NHL but Simon made sure to soak in every moment. “The anthem is going. You’re standing in a great building. The energy in that building was fantastic,” Simon said, “You kind of take a moment there and say ‘this is pretty cool.'” He expanded even more saying an experience like this is “something you don’t take for granted while you’re there” because it reminds you of the best part of the game of hockey, “playing it”.

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With the help of Simon behind the bench and a Dylan Larkin hattrick, the Red Wings beat the Devils 5-2.

Not only was this a win for the Red Wings and Simon but it was also a win for Northeast Ohio.

See, in the 1980s and early 90s, the Cleveland area was not the hockey hotbed it is today. At the time, very few people from the area made it to play professional hockey let alone coach at the professional. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that Northeast Ohio natives started to filter into the pros. Alongside the Holzingers, Fritsches, and Mike Rupp, Simon became a name synonymous with hockey success when he played for the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2001-02 season.

With Simon’s first NHL win as a coach, he also became the first person from Northeast Ohio to win an NHL game as a Head Coach. Thus cementing his legacy in the Cleveland area as a hockey legend.

Being the humble man that Simon is when asked about expanding his legacy in the Cleveland hockey world, he made sure to spend most of the time talking about how great it is to be from there. “I’m proud of where I came from. In Northeast Ohio, Shaker Heights is a great town and a great community. I’m proud of that,” explained Simon, “The fact I was able to accomplish a few things in hockey is great.”