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Simon Gagne News & Rumors

Kings' Gagne Cleared to Return for Stanley Cup Finals
May 27
New York Times
 
"Sometime between Christmas and New Year's Day, one of the N.H.L.'s leading wings contemplated premature retirement. The wing, Simon Gagne, a two-time All-Star in his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, sustained his third concussion in nearly five years on Dec. 26 against the Phoenix Coyotes. "For the first couple of days, it went through my mind," Gagne said about retirement. "You think about it. You're 32 years old. I've got two kids, and I had a couple of these in the past. "But I was feeling really good after maybe two, three weeks. I knew at that point I was going to play hockey again." Gagne skated with the Kings for this first time since the concussion during practice Friday"
Gagne reportedly cleared for contact
May 14
NHL.com
 
"Los Angeles Kings forward Simon Gagne has reportedly been cleared for contact for the first time since suffering a concussion on Dec. 26. However, according to the L.A. Kings Insider blog on the team's website, Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said Gagne will not be joining the team in Arizona and is still a longshot to return this season. Lombardi told the blog that Gagne is a "long way from playing," and that he "needs to get hit.""
Kings get consolation prize after losing out on Brad Richards: Simon Gagne
July 3
L.A. Daily News
 
"For the Kings, Simon Gagne was an easier sell than Brad Richards. After Richards spurned the Kings' advances and signed a nine-year contract with the New York Rangers, Gagne agreed to a two-year, $7 million deal Saturday that should bolster a left side weakened by the loss of Ryan Smyth. "When you change teams sometimes you need to adjust to the coach," Gagne said. "I feel that I know those guys already. I was joking that it was almost the (Philadelphia) Flyers on the West Coast right now." Gagne wasn't the first to notice the similarity. Kings assistant coach John Stevens was Gagne's head coach for three-plus seasons in Philadelphia. Terry Murray was a Flyers assistant for four seasons."
Simon Gagne is the consolation prize after Kings miss out on Brad Richards
July 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rejected again by a premier free agent, the Kings on Saturday found a respectable solution to their urgent need for scoring from the left side. Soon after learning Brad Richards had spurned them in favor of the New York Rangers, the Kings agreed with left wing Simon Gagne on a two-year, $7-million contract with a salary cap hit of $3.5 million. Gagne, 31, is due $4.5 million next season and $2.5 million in 2012-13, a lopsided division designed to pay most of his money before the NHL's labor deal expires on Sept. 15, 2012. Gagne scored 17 goals last season for Tampa Bay, which was willing to re-sign him for only one year. He scored 34 goals for the Flyers in 2008-09 playing alongside recent"
Bolts' Simon Gagne plays it cool
May 27
Boston Herald
 
"Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher has an issue with the way Lightning left winger Simon Gagne handles the pressure of playing in the seventh game of a series. Boucher hopes all his players will follow Gagne's lead when the Lightning take on the Bruins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals tonight (8) at the TD Garden. The winner will face Vancouver in the Stanley Cup finals, an event the Bruins haven't participated in since 1990. "He's very poised under pressure and I've seen it throughout the year," said Boucher during an afternoon press briefing at the Ritz Carlton Boston Common. "Sometimes, I actually feel he's too calm and that's the way he is in pressure situations. He's just at the"
Gagne able to continue winning ways
May 22
Boston Globe
 
"Simon Gagne didn't know his nickname in Boston is "Bruin killer.'' Yesterday, though, the Lightning forward solidified his status as one of the most hated players to Black and Gold fans when he scored the winning goal in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. Gagne's goal came at 6:54 of the third period when he took a pass from Ryan Malone and beat Tim Thomas through the five-hole from the slot, the go-ahead strike in the Lightning's 5-3 victory."
Gagne expects to be ready to face Bruins
May 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"As Simon Gagne took the ice Monday, the rest of the team was put on red alert. "Don't hit the guy in the red jersey.'' Gagne was not looking for that sort of gingerly approach as he returned to practice for the first time since his head struck in the ice on April 29, during Game 1 against Washington. Team rules, however, dictated the protocol. Gagne wore a red, non-contact jersey to participate in the Lightning's full 90-minute, on-ice workout in preparation for the Eastern Conference finals against Boston. When Game 1 is played against the Bruins — most likely not until Saturday given the uncertainty in the Western Conference — Gagne will be ready to play. "Skating with the team (Monday)"
Simon Gagne returns to Tampa Bay Lightning after head injury
May 10
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Simon Gagne said he did not want to wear a red no-contact jersey during Monday's practice at the St. Pete Times Forum. "But I had no choice," he said. The Lightning left wing said team rules demand players wear red as a precaution in their first practice after an injury. And Gagne had not skated with the team since April 29, when he was momentarily knocked unconscious after he was checked and his head hit the ice during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Capitals. After Monday's high-tempo 60-minute workout, Gagne, who has two goals and seven points in eight playoff games, declared himself fit for Game 1 of the East final against the Bruins. "I think," he said,"
Time off helping Gagne
May 9
Tampa Tribune
 
"The long layoff for the Lightning proved beneficial for injured LW Simon Gagne, who missed the final three games of the series against Washington. Gagne suffered a likely head injury when his head hit the ice in the first period of Game 1 against the Capitals following a clean hit from Scott Hannan and did not return. He reported the next day that he felt fine and was not suffering any of the normal symptoms associated with a concussion. And though he has yet to return to practice, he is expected back on the ice with the team this morning. Sunday morning Gagne skated on his own with strength coach Chuck Lobe under the eye of team assistant medical trainer Mike Poirier, going through sprint"
Simon Gagne expected to play in East final opener
May 9
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning coach Guy Boucher said LW Simon Gagne will practice with the team today and indicated he should be ready to play when the East final against the Bruins begins. Gagne (upper-body injury), who has been out since hitting his head on the ice in Game 1 of the Capitals series, skated on his own during Sunday's practice. "He's feeling very good," Boucher said. "Chances are, he'll be playing." D Pavel Kubina, who was knocked out of the same game when Capitals LW Jason Chimera sent his head into the glass, is taking a little bit more time, Boucher said, and is day to day. Gagne's return would provide a big boost, a top-six forward and veteran who had two goals and five assists in the"
'Lucky' Simon Gagne sits but could play soon for Tampa Bay Lightning
May 2
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Why were doctors optimistic Simon Gagne was not seriously hurt after his head slammed into the ice during Friday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals? He remembered wife Karine's phone number. "The doctor was really surprised I gave the number right away," Gagne said. "He said, 'Wow, that's a good test, a good first test.' " Gagne did not play in Sunday's Game 2. And though the Lightning left wing acknowledged, "I'm lucky it was not worse," he said he never lost consciousness, recalls the entire incident, feels pretty good — all things considered — and hopes to play Tuesday in Game 3. "The way I feel right now, it's positive," Gagne said. "I'm day to day. We'll see how it goes.""
Injured Gagne, Kubina not expected to play for Lightning in Game 2
May 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"We do not know how bad, or not, Lightning left wing Simon Gagne and defenseman Pavel Kubina are hurt. Both players, knocked out of Friday's 4-2 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with the Capitals from severe blows to the head, left the Verizon Center on Saturday without talking to reporters. The team is not even saying the injuries are to the head, referring to them as "upper body." In other words, secondhand information had to suffice. "They seemed okay," center Steven Stamkos said. "By no means am I a doctor, so I don't know what to look for, but they both seemed in good spirits and alert." Still, Gagne and Kubina are expected to miss today's Game 2. That would be a"
Gagne injury a real concern
April 30
Tampa Tribune
 
"The Lightning's second-round series had a scary start, as left wing Simon Gagne left in the first period after hitting his head on the ice following a hit by Scott Hannan. Hannan drove into Gagne in the corner of the Caps zone, with the hit lifting Gagne up into the boards and causing him to fall awkwardly. Gagne lay motionless on the ice, and although a stretcher was called out, he eventually was able to sit up on his own. He was helped off the ice. Both teams tapped their sticks as he skated off, and Hannan tapped Gagne with his stick as Gagne skated off. Gagne was awake and alert in the locker room right after the hit and was able to contact his wife, Lightning spokesman Bill Wickett"
Gagne the Lightning's Man for the Moment
April 25
Tampa Tribune
 
"There were times this season when nothing went right. Now it's another season, and here is Simon Gagne - like always. There is big hockey and he is playing big. It's what the man does. "In the playoffs," Gagne said, "anything you can do can make the difference." The Lightning left winger came to Tampa this season but was nearly invisible the first half, fighting injury and then ineffectiveness. He finished with 17 goals, a far cry from his 40-goal seasons in Philadelphia. But Saturday in Pittsburgh, in Game 5 of the Bolts' series with the Penguins, there was Simon Gagne, scoring his first two goals of these playoffs to help his team fight off elimination with an 8-2 win. It's what the man"
Postseason is reason Tampa Bay Lightning brought in Simon Gagne
April 18
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist John Romano
"His performance this season was disappointing, and yet no one is complaining. His numbers were insufficient, and yet nobody is counting. It is true Simon Gagne's debut season in Tampa Bay could have included a bit more razzle and a dash of dazzle, but it is still too soon to close the book. For the way we remember Gagne in Tampa Bay will have more to do with a handful of playoff games in April than the six months of regular-season games that came first. Forget the $5.25 million contract that is among the highest on the team. And forget the draft pick and the defenseman it cost to bring Gagne to Tampa Bay. All will be forgiven with the right goal at the right moment. "What people remember"
Scar tissue contributing to Tampa Bay Lightning Simon Gagne's neck trouble
March 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The Lightning believes a scar-tissue mass in the muscles in the back of Simon Gagne's neck is at least contributing to the nerve injury he has dealt with this season. "Obviously, there's a lot of nerve involvement coming through that area," head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan said Tuesday. "We're kind of suspicious that's been causing his issues. So that's what we've been kind of working on, to treat the nerves that come up through the neck and keep that from compressing them." Gagne missed Saturday's game at Ottawa after receiving from a Montreal doctor an injection of anesthetic and cortisone to "decrease the sensitivity" of the nerves, Mulligan said. It is the same successful treatment"
Gagne makes surprise return
March 23
Tampa Tribune
 
"A Lightning team short a few goal scorers got one of those key contributors back a little sooner than expected Tuesday, thanks in part to the wonders of modern medicine. LW Simon Gagne, who missed Saturday's game against Ottawa after receiving a special treatment for a chronic neck ailment, was back in the lineup to face the Islanders. Gagne's return came just four days after he was given an injection to the back of the neck that designed to alleviate the pain caused by a growth of scar tissue that has become entangled in his neck muscles. "I actually felt really good after the treatment and I told (coach Guy Boucher) that he can expect me to play against the Islanders, so I'm pretty happy"
Gagne still mired in offensive funk
March 11
Tampa Tribune
 
"Steven Stamkos was the first to break out. Then came Marty St. Louis and Teddy Purcell. By the time the Lightning's 4-3 shootout victory against the Blackhawks ended on Wednesday, all the players they count on most to score had seemingly broken out of their individual scoring slumps. All, that is, except for one - Simon Gagne. For Gagne, a two-time 40-goal scorer who was brought in this past offseason to give the Lightning a second scoring line, the head-scratching struggle to score continues. He has not scored in six games and has one goal in his past 16. He has 10 goals in 48 games overall. "It just seems like the puck doesn't want to go in as much as it used to," Gagne said. Gagne might"
Simon Gagne settled in and in a groove
February 4
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Simon Gagne finally feels at home. The Lightning left wing didn't believe it would take this long. Oh, he knew it wouldn't be easy. You don't leave a team and a community after 11 seasons and simply turn a page. But that it took until January for Gagne and his family to really settle in blindsided him. "I figured I had the whole summer to get over it," Gagne said Thursday of July's trade from the Flyers. "But it was hard on me." It is easier to talk about now. Gagne, a two-time 40-goal scorer, has nine goals and 15 points in 34 games. But in what is his best stretch of the season, he has six goals and eight points in his past nine games, and three goals and five points in his past three."
Gagne finally settling in with Lightning
February 2
Philly.com
 
"More than 6 months after an agonizing 2-week stretch in July that ended Simon Gagne's prodigious 10-year run as a Flyer, he is no more comfortable talking about his exit now than he was then. Gagne, who faced the Flyers last night for the second time since the July 19 trade, is finally starting to piece his career back together. "It was hard on me," Gagne said. "I've started to get over it, so I don't know if it's a good thing to talk about it. It took a while. You stay in one place for 10 years, it's a big part of your life. But we've started to feel more comfortable here now." And as Gagne and his family finally begin to get comfortable in Tampa Bay, where they have settled in a posh"
Gagne heating up fast for Lightning after a sluggish start
January 27
Tampa Tribune
 
"Win, win, win, that's this Tampa Bay Lightning team. The express, no stops, not lately, anyway. OK, here's a pause: A five-game break for the All-Star Game. After a 2-0 win over the dreadful Maple Leafs Tuesday night at the Forum, Lightning coach Guy Boucher raced into the dressing room. His team's next game was a week away. "In the gym, boys!" Boucher shouted, "We want it more. We need it." Bolts players dutifully trooped down to the team's exercise room and started lifting weights, riding bikes, anything to get the blood flowing, as if 31 wins by the break aren't enough. But here's something to really get them going: Simon Gagne is beginning to heat up -- at last. He scored the first"
Gagne heating up fast for Lightning after a sluggish start
January 26
Tampa Tribune
 columnist Martin Fennelly
"Win, win, win, that's this Tampa Bay Lightning team. The express, no stops, not lately, anyway. OK, here's a pause: A five-game break for the All-Star Game. After a 2-0 win over the dreadful Maple Leafs Tuesday night at the Forum, Lightning coach Guy Boucher raced into the dressing room. His team's next game was a week away. "In the gym, boys!" Boucher shouted, "We want it more. We need it." Bolts players dutifully trooped down to the team's exercise room and started lifting weights, riding bikes, anything to get the blood flowing, as if 31 wins by the break aren't enough. But here's something to really get them going: Simon Gagne is beginning to heat up -- at last. He scored the first"
Goal shows Tampa Bay Lightning's Simon Gagne is coming around
January 13
St. Petersburg Times
 
"While Lightning coach Guy Boucher said he was happy for his team after Wednesday's 3-0 victory over the Capitals, he said he was happiest for LW Simon Gagne, Tampa Bay's struggling star, who tallied just his fourth goal of the season and first in 12 games. "I've felt so bad for him because I would say maybe about a week and a half ago you could see his game level go way up," Boucher said. "He's been getting so many scoring chances, and he's been driving so hard and paying the price, but it just wasn't amounting to points. That can be hard for a guy that usually gets some." It was a huge goal, too, with 1:42 left in the second period on a breakaway that gave the Lightning a 3-0 lead. Gagne,"
Lecavalier and Simon Gagne say offense will come
December 18
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Vinny Lecavalier and Simon Gagne say it is just a matter of time before they chip in more offensively for the Lightning. Coach Guy Boucher said, "Absolutely, they're going to get their points." So far, they really haven't. Lecavalier has three goals and nine points in 15 games. Gagne has two goals and five points and is minus-11 in 13 games. The numbers are even more stark given the players' well-documented abilities and combined $15.25 million salary. "Of course, that's what I want to do," Lecavalier said Friday at the Ice Sports Forum when asked if he wanted to be more involved offensively. "The chances are there. "Obviously I want results, but if I play the way I did the last game"
Bolts getting look at the real Gagne
December 6
Tampa Tribune
 
"Veteran LW Simon Gagne is getting healthy and finding his rhythm, and the timing couldn't be better for the Lightning. With top-line wing Steve Downie out indefinitely after sustaining a high ankle sprain Thursday at Boston and captain Vinny Lecavalier at least a couple of weeks away from returning from a hand fracture, Tampa Bay has a considerable void to fill. Gagne, the team's top offseason acquisition after helping Philadelphia reach the Stanley Cup finals last season, returned from an 18-game absence Tuesday and scored his first goal of the season in a 4-3 overtime win at Toronto. He played his best game with the Lightning on Saturday, contributing a goal and two assists in a 6-5"
Simon Gagne knew patience was best in dealing with neck injury
December 2
St. Petersburg Times
 
"As Simon Gagne recovered from muscle and nerve inflammation at the back of his neck, the Lightning left wing said he wrestled with emotions that pulled him in different directions. Gagne badly wanted to help his teammates, who have battled to overcome not only his absence but that of injured captain Vinny Lecavalier. But Gagne also did not want to risk more injuries by coming back too soon. It is a debate at the heart of being an elite player in a team sport. "You need to be honest with yourself and your teammates," Gagne said. "You're the only person who knows yourself." Gagne knew best as he sat out 18 games to make sure the blurry vision, pressure in his head after strenuous workouts"
Gagne ready to put injury behind
December 2
Tampa Tribune
 
"Simon Gagne splashed back onto the Lightning scene Tuesday night, serving the role of overtime hero in his first game back after a month's absence to score the winner against Toronto. It proved the kind of welcome-back party many expected to see when Gagne first was came to Tampa when he was acquired from Philadelphia during the summer. As it turned out, the indoctrination just took a little while longer than originally planned. Now, after missing the previous 18 games with a neck strain and nerve compression, Gagne feels ready to move forward starting tonight in Boston. "I kind of look at things now, that everything happened for a reason, that's how I looked at it at one point; maybe it"
Gagne returns from injury to lift Bolts in OT
December 1
Toronto Sun
 
"Every team wants balanced scoring, but Simon Gagne just wanted balance. A mystery affliction, concussion-like symptoms linked to a neck injury, had sidelined the Tampa Bay Lightning scoring star for 18 games. But he came back in time to put a 4-3 dagger through the Maple Leafs on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre. "It's pretty hard to ask for more," an elated Gagne said. "Coming back, getting an assist on Ryan Malone's power play goal and going out there on a 2-and-1 in overtime. I just decided to go with the shot and it went in. A good feeling." When the Leafs were in Tampa Bay a couple of weeks ago, there was some fluid in the back of Gagne's neck that was suspected of causing blurred"
Simon Gagne returns to Tampa Bay Lighting lineup
December 1
St. Petersburg Times
 
"A prescription medication to reduce nerve inflammation apparently helped LW Simon Gagne return to action Tuesday. Gagne said, and head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan confirmed, he began taking the drug the day after Thanksgiving. Gagne, out 18 straight games with muscle and nerve inflammation in the back of his neck, said the pressure he felt in his head after strenuous workouts is gone. "The last five days have been really good," he said before the game. "It's a good sign." Even so, the Lightning kept secret Gagne would play. "Pressure off him and distractions with the team," coach Guy Boucher said. "I think it worked out pretty good." Especially considering "he was afraid he wouldn't be"
Bolts' Gagne scores OT game-winner in comeback
December 1
Tampa Tribune
 
"With nerves fluttering through his body, Simon Gagne found it difficult to rest before Tuesday's game. For the second time this season, Gagne was on the verge of making his debut and he couldn't get to sleep. Tuesday night, however, he came to life in what looked more like his real first appearance with the Lightning. Gagne had the rare second chance to make a first impression. After missing 18 games with a neck injury, the former All-Star notched the winning goal with 3:45 left in overtime to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 comeback victory against Toronto in front of an announced crowd of 19,063 at Air Canada Centre. Gagne finished with a goal, an assist and four shots on goal"
Bolts' Gagne close to 100 percent
November 28
Tampa Tribune
 
"Although he was back to skating with a red no-contact jersey Saturday morning, injured LW Simon Gagne said he has not suffered a setback in his bid to rejoin the lineup. "I think it's just been so long that I've been wearing the red jersey, the trainers just put it out for every practice," Gagne said. "But I need to get hit out there. There's no need to put out the red jersey." Gagne wore a regular warm-up jersey Wednesday, and it appeared he might play by the end of the week. But he missed his 17th and 18th games Friday and Saturday since sustaining a strained neck and associated problems Oct. 21 against the Islanders. Gagne said he's "close to 100 percent" physically and mainly needs to"
Gagne's return postponed again
November 25
Tampa Tribune
 
"Lightning LW Simon Gagne's much-anticipated return from a frustrating neck injury with associated problems was delayed at least another game Wednesday. Although he worked with Dana Tyrell and Mattias Ritola in the morning skate (not wearing the red non-contact jersey), Gagne was not taken off the injured reserve list. Coach Guy Boucher said he probably wouldn't play, and he didn't. "He's getting closer," Boucher said during his morning media availability. "We'll see, but he still needs to talk to the doctor." A top offseason acquisition from the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers, Gagne has missed 16 consecutive games since suffering a neck strain Oct. 21 against the"
Simon Gagne 'very probable' for next game, coach says
November 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning coach Guy Boucher said it is "very probable" Simon Gagne will play Wednesday against the Rangers. But the left wing, out 15 games with a strained neck, did not want to commit. "I don't want to say," he said after Monday's skate with the team. "If I said one day and I end up not playing, I might disappoint a lot of people. I would disappoint my teammates. They have been pretty good with me right now. "They ask me every day when I'm going to play. If I say Wednesday and I don't, it's not something we need right now." The two-time 40-goal scorer said he still has muscle and nerve inflammation at the back of the right side of his neck. He said the mysterious pressure that travels to"
Another hurdle for Bolts' Gagne
November 23
Tampa Tribune
 
"Physically Simon Gagne feels ready to return to action. But it's what happens after he works out that prevented him from playing on Monday against Boston. Gagne took part in Monday's morning skate, still in the red non-contact jersey, and continues to regain his conditioning after spending a good portion of the past month unable to work out. Now that his vision issues have cleared, he has another slight hurdle to clear before he returns to the lineup. Out since Oct. 22 with a neck strain that was causing him some vision and balance issues, which have since cleared up, Gagne now has some buildup of pressure in his forehead area after he completes workout sessions. While the team was away on"
Gagne getting closer to return
November 22
Tampa Tribune
 
"While going full force in on-ice and off-ice workouts, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Simon Gagne no longer feels any issues related to the strain in his neck. Afterward, however, a buildup of pressure forms in the back of his head and settles in his forehead, a sensation he began experiencing last week while working out with strength and conditioning coach Chuck Lobe. That will keep the former All-Star out of tonight's lineup for the 15th consecutive game, although a return later this week seems likely. "I'm getting in shape a little bit, so that's one big thing,'' Gagne said. "But it's getting there, it's not totally perfect but it's getting there.'' Gagne, out since Oct. 22 after hitting"
Injury situation for Tampa Bay Lightning's Simon Gagne gets murkier
November 21
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The anticipated return to the lineup of injured LW Simon Gagne might be on hold. Or it might not. Exactly what is bothering Gagne is unclear, though Lightning coach Guy Boucher described it as forehead or sinus pressure. Whatever it is, it stopped Gagne, out 14 games with a neck strain, from joining the team Saturday against the Sabres, and he might not be ready for Monday's game with the Bruins. "No clue," Boucher said when asked about the problem. "They're still looking into it.""
Simon Gagne returns to practice
November 17
St. Petersburg Times
 
"It is rare to see Lightning coach Guy Boucher in the locker room when players are talking to reporters. But when Boucher saw the cluster around Simon Gagne after Tuesday's practice at the Ice Sports Forum, he couldn't resist. "I don't know how he feels," Boucher said, leaning into the group, "but he looked great." It was easy to understand Boucher's enthusiasm. Gagne, 30, a two-time 40-goal scorer who has missed 11 straight games, practiced for the first time with his teammates since sustaining a neck injury Oct. 21 against the Islanders. No one knows when the left wing will play, but getting him in the right direction is huge for a team with just 13 goals in a 1-5-1 slide and with a"
Gagne practices, is nearing a return to lineup
November 16
Tampa Tribune
 
"Injured Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Simon Gagne returned to practice Tuesday, but is not quite ready to return to the lineup. Gagne has been out since Oct. 22 with a neck strain suffered when he hit neck first into the boards on Oct. 21. He has undergone several tests to pinpoint the nature of some minor vision issues he encountered while turning his head from side-to-side. The final determination, Gagne said, was some swelling in the back of his neck constricted blood flow, which the medical staff believes caused the vision issues. Gagne has been skating since Saturday, but Tuesday was his first time participating in practice. While he was not scheduled to accompany the team for a"
Simon Gagne 'slowly getting better,' GM Steve Yzerman says
November 12
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Tests and more tests. That is what Lightning LW Simon Gagne is undergoing in Tampa as the team tries to determine the cause of persistent pain in the back of his neck and what coach Guy Boucher on Thursday called "unsteady" vision when Gagne moves his head from side to side. "There's a little imbalance there," Boucher said. "The guy is not dizzy. It's just when there is normal head movement, everything has a tendency to be kind of shaking, but it's not blurry." One thing for sure, "it's not normal," Boucher said. GM Steve Yzerman reiterated that it is "almost certain this isn't concussion-related" and that Gagne, who has missed nine games since being checked into the boards Oct. 21 against"
Gagne still seeking answers
November 10
Tampa Tribune
 
"Feeling frustrated with no clear answers as to what ails him, the Lightning's Simon Gagne continues to undergo testing to help solve the mystery about why he is still suffering from vision issues. Gagne suffered what continues to be called a strained neck on Oct. 22 against the New York Islanders when he slid neck-first into the side boards. More than two weeks and several tests later, Gagne remains off the ice as he inches his way back to health. "I'm feeling better, but it's still not where we want,'' Gagne said Tuesday morning. "Vision and balance are the two things that come together, and it's really hard to describe, but that's the way I feel every once in a while, but the rest of the"
Tampa Bay Lightning's Simon Gagne to have nerve conduction test today
November 10
St. Petersburg Times
 
"For Lightning forward Simon Gagne, his neck injury remains a bit of a mystery. Gagne, who has missed the last seven games while on injured reserve, said he's feeling better, but is "still not quite where I want to be." Gagne has seen several doctors, including local neurologist Ed Grant, and though he said there doesn't appear to be any symptoms related to concussion, they're still trying to get to the bottom of what's wrong before he can move forward. "We're still not quite sure what's going on," he said. Head athletic trainer Tommy Mulligan said the next step is a nerve conduction test today to make sure the nerve patterns are properly coming out of the neck. Mulligan said an MRI of"
Gagne still searching for answers to focus, balance problems
November 9
Tampa Tribune
 
"Feeling frustrated with no clear answers as to what ails him, Simon Gagne continues to undergo testing to help solve the mystery as to why he is still suffering from vision issues. Gagne suffered what still is being called a strained neck on Oct. 22 in a game against the New York Islanders where he slid neck-first into the side boards. More than two weeks and several inconclusive tests later, Gagne remains off the ice as he inches his way back to health. Lightning head medical trainer Tom Mulligan said Gagne's vision issues are an inability to quickly focus when Gagne quickly moves his head or changes directions, and that also causes a slight, very brief loss of balance. "Vision and"
Simon Gagne says he'll overcome slow start
October 26
St. Petersburg Times
 
"In a couple of months, Simon Gagne said, all that is going on in his life — the emotional upheaval of leaving a city he called home for 11 years, another injury, that he has zero goals and zero points in his first six games — will seem "a little tiny moment in a long season." For now, though, the Lightning left wing said he understands it can seem like "a nightmare." "It looks big now because it's in the present," he said Monday at the Ice Sports Forum. "But I'm sure, when I sit and talk to you in December and January, it's just going to be so small in the season. It's going to be a lot better at that moment." Until then, though, Gagne has to deal with the present, including a team-worst"
Simon Gagne sidelined by illness, stiff neck
October 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Lightning LW Simon Gagne , who has been sick for the past couple of days and is hampered by a stiff neck after a hard check into the boards Thursday against the Islanders, sat out against the Thrashers. "He's been ill for three, four days. It wasn't bad, but he's just got no energy," coach Guy Boucher said Friday afternoon of the decision to give Gagne the game off. "(Thursday), you could see, after 20 seconds he was dying out." Gagne said his energy level was down a bit, which in Boucher's fast-paced scheme is problematic, but he wanted to "battle through it" against the Islanders. What was tougher for him to overcome was the stiffness in his neck stemming from a late-game play. "I"
Pointless Gagne seeks Bolts breakthrough
October 21
Tampa Tribune
 
"While the season is five games old for a Tampa Bay Lightning team that has four victories, Simon Gagne admits he has a few concerns about the zero. Entering tonight's game against the New York Islanders, Gagne has yet to score a point — zero goals, zero assists. It may not seem like a big deal, but for an offensive star who has averaged .79 points per game throughout his 11-year career trying to settle into unfamiliar surroundings, it does serve as a slight sense of frustration. "Yeah, it is a little bit,'' said Gagne, who at minus-7 is tied for worst on the team with linemate Ryan Malone. "But I've been in the league for 11 years so it's not the first time. ... I'm sure I would like to"
Gagne enjoys homecoming and win over Flyers
October 15
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"ON A NIGHT when Simon Gagne returned to Philadelphia for the first time as a member of the Lightning, the Flyers weren't able to spoil his triumphant homecoming. They can thank their power play for that. Since scoring on opening night in Pittsburgh 8 days ago, the Flyers' power play is a dismal 0-for in its last 15 attempts. Last night, the Flyers squandered three opportunities, which wouldn't seem like a huge number. But the Flyers burned 73 seconds worth of a two-man advantage just 5 minutes into the game and allowed Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos to capitalize later in the first period as the Lightning went on to hand them their first regulation loss, a 3-2 final score. In fact, the Flyers"
Flyers fall in Gagne's return
October 15
Philly.com
 
"The lasting impressions in the Flyers' 3-2 loss to speedy Tampa Bay on Thursday night had more to do with Simon Gagne's emotional return to South Philadelphia - and the home team's sputtering power play. Gagne, traded to Tampa Bay in July after 11 superb seasons with the Flyers, fought tears as a video tribute of his career was shown on the scoreboard during a first-period stoppage. He received a two-minute standing ovation at the Wells Fargo Center. After the game, Gagne was teary-eyed as he described the moment, saying it ranked with winning an Olympic gold medal in 2002 and beating Boston in last season's playoffs after losing the first three games of that series. "It was awesome."
Emotional return to Philly tonight for former Flyer Gagne
October 14
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"SIMON GAGNE says this has already been a long week. On Saturday, Gagne made his regular-season debut with his new team, in a new city, in a new rink. Last night, Gagne returned to Montreal - approximately 3 hours from his hometown of Ste. Foy, Quebec - for the first time as a member of the Lightning, with family and friends watching at the Bell Centre. Both of those firsts will pale in comparison to tonight, when Gagne returns to the city he called home for 11 years for the first time since his July 19 trade. "It's been a tough week for me," Gagne said via phone in Montreal yesterday. "Going back there is going to be weird. It's going to be hard. It's going to be tough to make sure that I"
Gagne looks forward to his return to Philly
October 14
Philly.com
 
"When the NHL released its schedule in the summer, the first thing Simon Gagne did was check to see when his new team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, would be playing in South Philadelphia. He wanted to know when he was going home. "Going back to Philly will be special," Gagne said the other day, referring to Thursday's game against his former teammates at the Wells Fargo Center. In his 11 years with the Flyers, Gagne was a special player. He is among the franchise leaders in games (664, seventh), goals (259, ninth), and points (524, 10th). And he was at his heroic best in last season's playoffs. Gagne scored the game-winner in the historic seventh-game comeback against Boston - after needing"