Wayne Simmonds set to retire as a member of the Flyers.

When he played just 18 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last year we all knew the writing was on the wall for National Hockey League veteran Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds' body simply could not keep up with the rigors of NHL hockey like it once had, due in large part to the dominating physical style of play that he deployed to such success for so many years.

On Monday, Simmonds officially announced that he would be retiring from the sport of hockey, but not before signing one final NHL contract.

In a tremendous show of class, the Philadelphia Flyers organization announced that they would be signing Simmonds to a one-day contract in order to allow him to retire as a Flyer. Although he initially broke into the league as a member of the Los Angeles Kings, there's no question that Philadelphia is where Simmonds established himself as a force in the NHL.

Simmonds would go on to form a dominant line for the Flyers alongside former Flyers captain Claude Giroux and beloved former Flyer Scott Hartnell, a trio that the Flyers would employ to great success for several years.

The announcement from the Flyers indicates that Simmonds success with the team will be celebrated on April 13th, a great treat for fans who were already planning to attend that game. The Flyers will welcome the New Jersey Devils to town on that night, a team that Simmonds played 61 games for during the 2019-2020 NHL season.

While today's announcement came as no surprise, it is still sad to know that we will no longer get to see Simmonds employ his physical brand of hockey in the NHL any longer.

I want to wish Wayne Simmonds all the best in his retirement, and I hope the next chapter of his life is as exciting as the last.