"In Simon, Wilson Sees a Winner"
By Rachel Alexander
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 15, 1998; Page D1
At training camp last year, Washington Capitals Coach Ron Wilson was so impressed with Chris Simon that he was tossing out compliments on the first day the team took the ice. This year it took Wilson an extra day, but he was no less approving of the 6-foot-4 left winger as the Capitals finished their second on-ice workout of training camp yesterday.
"This reminded me of the first practice last year, when he was flying," Wilson said. "He looked good then, but today he looks faster than he did last year. His summer program has paid off, it appears. This second camp he's in better shape than the last one, and last year everyone said he's in better shape than he'd ever been before, so that's a real positive for us and for Chris."
Simon, who recorded 7 goals, 10 assists and 38 penalty minutes in 28 games last season, scored two goals in an intrasquad scrimmage yesterday that his squad won, 3-1. Wilson has him on a line with speedy youngsters Jan Bulis and Richard Zednik, and although that placement is the result of some juggling while Steve Konowalchuk recovers from a wrist injury, it has given Wilson some ideas of how Simon could be used.
Last season, Simon started on a line with Peter Bondra and Michal Pivonka. Simon was moved around frequently in subsequent months, however, and in December he had shoulder surgery that kept him off the ice until the playoffs. He then joined the checking line with Dale Hunter and Craig Berube, a marked change in size and speed from the players he has been paired with the last two days.
Neither Bulis nor Zednik is as physically dominant as Hunter or Berube; instead both are more focused snipers.
"Playing on a line with that much speed forces Chris to work even harder, and that's good-I was impressed with that," Wilson said. "You play at a pace you are a little uncomfortable with, and after a while you actually get used to it.
"Chris keeps the other team honest. You don't know if he will beat you up or if he's going to score a big goal. He just has a presence: his size, his long hair, the whole package. He's a scary looking individual, so it makes everybody here braver when he is on the ice, but he can also play. He's a great player and hopefully he can stay healthy enough that he gets to show that more."
Wilson's attention has been well-earned, as Simon has spent the last two summers in an intensive fitness program at a popular gym in Venice Beach, Calif. Previously, Simon had been criticized for being out of shape, slowing him down during long shifts and limiting the effect of his huge size. But that was before Simon was introduced to trainer T.R. Goodman, who this summer also trained NHL players Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Bob Probert, Rob Blake and former Capital Anson Carter.
"I didn't know what to do in the past to prepare myself for training camp," said Simon, a six-year veteran. "I went out there for the first time two years ago and came into camp in great shape, but last year was just the start, and if I keep with it, good things are going to happen for me.
"It's just quickness and strength. If you look at the guys T.R. trains, guys like Chris Chelios and Rick Tocchet, these are guys who are ironmen in the league. He'll catch you right away if you're not doing something right, and he's a really good motivator."
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