CLEVELAND – For former Cleveland Monsters defenseman and captain Dillon Simpson, retirement was not something on his mind as the 2022-23 American Hockey League season came to a close. But now, after nine seasons in the AHL, Simpson is saying goodbye to his professional playing career.
On Thursday, the University of North Dakota announced that Simpson has joined the men’s hockey program as an assistant coach.
Less than 24 hours later, I sat down with Dillon to discuss this transition in his career and reminisce about his time in the AHL.
Dillon Simpson’s Retirement Sparks Memories
Dillon Simpson began his professional career during the 2014-15 AHL Seaon with the Oklahoma City Barons. Then, he moved on to the Bakersfield Condors, the current AHL affiliate of his hometown Edmonton Oilers.
After three seasons with Bakersfield, he made the move to Cleveland, where he ultimately played 264 games and became the team’s captain, spanning five seasons from 2018 to 2023.
“I remember my first game in Cleveland, playing in the now Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in front of the fan base. It’s every night. They show up every night. It’s exciting to play in front of them and that’s an atmosphere I will not forget, for sure.”
Throughout our conversation about his retirement, Simpson constantly shared about how special the fans and Cleveland community are to him and his wife. From his fellow players, the fans, and everyone surrounding the Cleveland Monsters and Columbus Blue Jackets, his appreciation and love are evident.
He, however, also recognized the impact of his time within the Edmonton Oilers system. I asked how his time in the AHL has impacted him both personally and professionally.
“I think, especially my time here in Cleveland, it’s going to really help me with the transition into coaching. I went from a prospect in the Edmonton system to being more of a leader at the AHL level and helping the next wave of players and prospects trying to make it to the NHL. Keeping that mindset as a guy who can build relationships with young guys and really has a personal interest in their development and can help them get better will pay dividends here at North Dakota.”
I’ve had the unique perspective of watching him develop into a leader since I started covering the Cleveland Monsters in the 2019-20 season. From his time as a respected blueliner to a captain who also filled in at forward during lineup crunches, Simpson has put on a master class of leadership, tenacity, and patience.
Memories of Games Past and Looking at Cleveland’s Future
Naturally, as most conversations around the 2022-23 Cleveland Monsters season go, we soon started talking about the Outdoor Classic. You know it- the one with the five-hour sun delay.
Despite all of the obstacles and stress surrounding that day, Simpson counts that as one of his favorite memories across his 516-game AHL career.
“I’ve played in outdoor games. None of which have gone according to plan, right,” Simpson laughs. “The outdoor game is up there in Cleveland. The fact that we went through all that and the fans still showed up and it was a great night. I think that’s something that myself and my family will remember for a long time.”
The talk then quickly turned to the future of the Cleveland Monsters.
Despite the last two seasons being below expectations and missing the playoffs, Simpson has confidence in the organization and sees bright days ahead.
“There’s a great group of guys in that locker room coming back along with a new wave of really good young players. That coaching staff’s next to none and I’m excited to keep tabs on everyone here and see how they do.”
So, has the organization started looking for its next captain? If it has, they already know the impression of its last one:
“They’re in good hands. I think for me, they know my thoughts on guys throughout. You know, there’s a number of guys who could wear the captain moving forward, whoever it is will do a great job.”
Cleveland definitely has an exciting crop of players to choose from for its next leadership group. But for now, let’s keep our focus on the most recent in a storied line of people to come through the Monsters ranks.
The Next Logical Step
Now with his playing career behind him, Simpson is turning his attention to part of the sport that’s always piqued his interest.
He has always had an interest in coaching. Over the last four seasons in Cleveland, he said that he’s been paying closer attention and learning from his coaches. For some professional athletes, coaching beckons as the next logical step whenever their playing days are over.
“In the back in my mind, I always wanted to get into coaching once I was finished playing. It’s something I always thought about. Learning from the coaches (in Cleveland) became something that came in handy as an older guy trying to help younger players here in Cleveland as well.”
As the door closed on last season, Simpson’s plan wasn’t to retire. In fact, he was preparing as he has done for every summer of his pro career.
“Quite honestly, going into the offseason, I had no intention of retiring. I was still training throughout this whole process. But at the end of the day, when this opportunity (with UND) came about, I flipped the switch pretty quick. My thought became ‘Okay, I’m retiring the next day if I get the opportunity to coach.'”
It was actually the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks men’s hockey team that reached out to Simpson about the opening.
As his alma mater and one of the most storied hockey programs in NCAA history, Simpson wasted no time in applying.
Of course, as a public institution, the school has to post the coaching staff’s opening and have an interview process.
Throughout the summer, Simpson kept steady with his training so he was fully prepared for either outcome. But, as he said, the intrigue of the opportunity was one he couldn’t pass up.
“I was ready to go play hockey but the opportunity (with UND) made it pretty easy for me to be okay with retiring.”
Dillon Simpson’s Retirement: Final Thoughts
With any transition in life, there is always a goodbye in order. Dillon Simpson’s retirement is no exception. He wanted to pass along some final messages to the fans and all of those who supported him in his professional playing career.
First, his message to the Cleveland Monsters faithful:
“I’ve always said this the best fan base in the AHL. Over the years, everyone in the community, at the rink, during games, they’ve meant a lot to me and my family. The whole city of Cleveland has been nothing but great to us since we showed up five years ago. We had both our children here. This place is always going to hold fond memories for us. And you know for all the fans, you’re in good hands.”
Finally, he shared his appreciation and thanks to the AHL and everyone around the pro game.
“I know I’ve been really fortunate to play with a lot of great people and playing for a lot of great coaches. From Bakersfield on to Cleveland, it’s been a whirlwind but it’s been an exciting ride. I’ll keep as close as I can with a lot of former teammates. The coaching staff has been nothing but supportive, knowing I was going through this process. I have nothing but great things to say about the people in the Cleveland and Columbus organizations. I want to thank them for a great five years that my family and I really enjoyed.”
If his full-circle moment with UND is any indication of the future, then who knows? Maybe one day we will be seeing Dillon Simpson behind the bench in the AHL someday.
Either way, whichever players are lucky enough to be coached by the charismatic, smart, and talented former professional hockey defensemen, they are truly lucky.
