Simon Nolet

It took him a while, but Simon Nolet eventually established himself as a real nice NHL hockey player.

The diminutive right winger known for his excellent slap shot saw little interest from NHL teams in the remaining days of the Original Six league. He never played the game at a true competitive or developmental level until the age of 19 when he first tried to make the Quebec Citadelles' junior team . The following year he made the team and was a big part of the team's success.

After graduating from the junior ranks in 1962 Nolet played senior hockey until 1965, first with the Windsor Maple Leafs in the Nova Scotia Senior Hockey League, and later with the Sherbrooke Castors of the Quebec Senior Circuit. Despite standing just 5'9" tall, he was a dominating player in those senior leagues, posting mind boggling statistics. He had 152 goals in 149 games

By the 1965-66 season Nolet turned pro with the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League. He was extremely happy to be back in Quebec City. His first season was a tough adjustment for the St. Odilon native. He played in 61 games and scored a disappointing 16 goals and 33 points. He was then held scoreless in 6 post season games. nolet redeemed himself nicely in 1966-67 when he scored 32 times in 66 games and was a top player in the playoffs - scoring 5 points in his team's short stay in post season activity.

When the NHL finally expanded in 1967, Nolet got his long awaited shot at the big leagues. The Philadelphia Flyers purchased the entire Quebec Aces team with the intent of using them as a farm team. Along with the team went the players including Nolet.

While he put up some great numbers in the AHL (averaging well over a point a game including a league leading 96 points in 1967-68), Simon only got brief looks with the Flyers, but did not stick with the club until 1970 when he scored a team high 22 goals in just 56 contests. He was also a strong +13.

Nolet took a step back in 1970-71, scoring just 9 times but continued to be a hard working forward. Though he would reach the 20 goal level only once more, Nolet would remain with the Flyers through to their first Stanley Cup championship in 1974.

Expansion again played a role in Nolet's career soon after the Cup victory. The new comer Kansas City Scouts made Nolet the first skater taken (goaltenders had a separate draft that occurred before the players draft). even though by now he was 33 years old the Scouts felt Nolet could be a top player for them.

"He'll be our goal scorer, " predicted general manager Sid Abel of Nolet, who scored 19 times in limited ice time the year before with Philly. "Simon will see a lot more ice time with us than he ever did in Philly so we see him as a guy who could get 30 or 40 goals."

Nolet didn't get quite that many, but nonetheless didn't disappoint by scoring a career high 26 lamplighters to go with 32 helpers for 58 points.

Nolet struggled through the first half of the 75-76 season and was traded mid-way through the campaign to Pittsburgh, where he didn't fare much better. In 1976-77 he played somewhat sparingly with the Colorado Rockies before retiring at season's end.

Nolet later became a successful scout, most notably for the Flyers. One of the kids he'd been eying he had known since he was a toddler - Simon Gagne. Nolet was good friends with Gagne's father Pierre as the two played together back in Quebec City. It was Nolet who was instrumental in the Flyers picking of one of the most talented young players in the game.