If there’s a surprise player of the year, it’s definitely Wayne Simmonds. Twelve months ago, I wouldn’t have bet a nickel on the chance of Simmonds making the Kings and playing 82 games this season, but he did, and he did it quite capably. By all accounts, Simmonds was a model player, eager to soak up information on and off the ice, and he still has the ability to improve quite a bit more. Here’s what Simmonds said about his rookie season…
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Question: Does it feel like you’ve played an entire year in the NHL?
SIMMONDS: (laughs) “Yeah, it does.”
Question: Physically, it probably does…
SIMMONDS: “Yeah, physically it does, but I enjoyed myself this year. I learned a lot and I had a lot of fun. I look forward to next year and being able to do a lot more.”
Question: I get a lot of feedback from fans, and they have really enjoyed your play this year. Did you even exceed your own expectations for how this season might go for you?
SIMMONDS: “Yeah, definitely. I didn’t know what my role would be on this team coming into the season, so I think that I have exceeded my expectations. I’m happy with it, and it’s exciting to know that I could come in and play a major role on this team. I look forward to next year, and building off of that and having more success.”
Question: I guess those expectations will be even higher next season…
SIMMONDS: “Exactly. I know expectations are going to be higher now, and I have to fulfill that. I will have high expectations for myself, so we’ll see what happens next year. Hopefully it will be real good.”
Question: Anything in particular that you’ll focus on over the summer?
SIMMONDS: “Bulking up, for sure. That’s definitely my main focus. I’ve got to get a lot bigger, so I’ll be in the gym a lot this summer.”
Question: There’s a right way to do that though, right?
SIMMONDS: “Yeah, exactly. You’ve got to eat healthy food and make sure it’s muscle, rather than fat. You’ve just got to be smart about it. If you get a little bit of muscle, as opposed to a lot of fat, that’s better than the fat.”
Question: You don’t want to take away your speed either…
SIMMONDS: “Exactly. You just want to get stronger.”
Question: Any good summer plans? Going home for a while?
SIMMONDS: “Yeah, I plan to go home and see my family for a while. I’ll take a short break and then get back at it.”
