Craig Simpson
He scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal for the Oilers before trading his hockey stick for a microphone, becoming the voice of Hockey Night in Canada.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: February 15·Generation X
Biography
Craig Simpson's hockey life is a tale of two distinct, successful acts. The first was as a powerful left winger with a scorer's touch. Drafted second overall in 1985, his potential fully ignited after a trade to the Edmonton Oilers in 1987. There, playing alongside legends like Gretzky and Messier, he became a crucial part of two Stanley Cup championships, his name forever etched in history for scoring the Cup-winning goal in 1990. A series of back injuries cut his on-ice career short, but Simpson seamlessly pivoted to the broadcast booth. With a sharp analytical mind and a calm, authoritative delivery, he worked his way up to become the lead colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada, a role that made his voice a weekly fixture in homes across the nation. He didn't just analyze plays; he explained the game's nuances, drawing from his own experience in its highest-pressure moments to educate and entertain a new generation of fans.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Craig was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers (1988, 1990), scoring the Cup-winning goal in 1990.
- Became the lead colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada on Sportsnet, one of the most prominent roles in Canadian sports broadcasting.
- Scored 56 goals in the 1987-88 season, a career high that showcased his elite finishing ability.
- Transitioned successfully from player to broadcaster, providing analysis for multiple Olympics and Stanley Cup Finals.
Did You Know?
He was drafted ahead of players like Joe Nieuwendyk and Brendan Shanahan in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.
He is a minority owner of the Niagara IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
He briefly served as an assistant coach for the New York Islanders in the early 2000s.
His father, Bob Simpson, also played in the NHL.
“You have to be ready when your chance comes, and I was ready in Edmonton.”
