Q&A with Former Michigan State Spartan Craig Simpson

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The first former CCHA player to score 50 goals in an NHL season, Craig Simpson, now with "Hockey Night in Canada," spent two seasons with the Michigan State Spartan hockey team. Simpson recently sat down with "Inside the CCHA" to talk about the time he spent in East Lansing, his new job with CBC and what advice he'd give to today's young players.

Your brother, Dave, had great success in junior hockey and was Canada's "Player of the Year" in 1982. How did you wind up choosing the college route and get to East Lansing at such a young age of 16 in the fall of 1983?

Craig Simpson: It came about really as a good opportunity. I was playing junior B hockey in London, Ontario, as a 14-year-old and then in the midst of my second season, I really felt that I had to make a tough decision on where to play next. I couldn't play another year of junior B hockey from a development standpoint. I had seen my brother go through and try to continue on with college as he was playing junior hockey. He was able to do it but it was a very difficult process to go through. I just felt the chances of me getting drafted in my hometown of London were almost impossible so I knew I'd have to go away and live somewhere else. I started to think about the opportunity of going to school and was in grade 11 at the time and luckily enough was able to change some of my courses and finish grade 12 while I was still in grade 11. It was a unique opportunity, but obviously a great one to be able to do.

Your Spartans captured back-to-back playoff titles; you led the team in scoring each of your two seasons with Michigan State, and your coach, Ron Mason always says the 1984-85 team was better than the team that won the National Championship the following year after you had left. What do you remember most from that '84-'85 squad? Was it losing at home to Chris Terreri and Providence with the Frozen Four all set at Joe Louis Arena?

Simpson: I think that was probably the lowest point. Back in those days [the series] were two-games and total goals and we had a series where we dominated them, we out shot them almost 2 to 1 in the two game and just had one of those times where we couldn't get the puck past Terreri and we had a number of great chances. I know in the second game we had two goals disallowed that ended up, obviously, costing us. I remember in the dying minutes hitting the goal posts on both sides with an opportunity to pull us even. We were such a great group of players and people. In our minds, we were pretty much the top team all year to beat and to lose like that, that was a real shocker. As difficult as that was, I was obviously proud the team the next year, bouncing back and then winning a national championship.

You look at youth hockey players and everyone's in such a rush to get to the next level. You were drafted second overall, stepped right into the NHL for Pittsburgh without a day in the minors. What kind of advice can you offer for players and parents about making the right decision about moving up?

Simpson: I think you have to be cautious and careful that you're not pushing too quickly in a situation where you setting your son or daughter to be in a tough spot to have success. I think there are unique cases all along where if the player is mature enough to handle the accelerated pace and skilled enough and has the desire to play at that high level, then I think it will look like the right decision. As it was in my case, my parents sending me away at 16 to go to a university in the United States was a big step, but I know that they felt for me it was the right thing to do. I was mature enough to handle it and had the skills to play at that level. I think the advice is that your son or daughter will develop at their own pace. The person who's in charge of their development is them. I think too many times parents are too quick to try to push the kids into new situations and push them a little too quickly when maybe that's not what they want. I've always found the kids who have excelled are the ones that have a real deep passion themselves to want to get better and push themselves to get better. In the end, you'll know it was the right decision by the character and the confidence that your child has.

You spent three seasons as an assistant coach in Edmonton, where you also won a Stanley Cup. Now you're back in the booth with "Hockey Night in Canada." I guess you're not judged by wins and losses on TV, the trade-off is you can't satisfy those competitive urges like you can behind the bench.

Simpson: It's a very different feeling. I do miss, in a lot of way, the competitiveness. On the flipside, though, I haven't had a pit in my stomach all season because of the pressure. It was a great opportunity to go into Edmonton; working with guys I had won Stanley Cups with and played with, Craig MacTavish, Charlie Huddy and Kevin Lowe. The opportunity at CBC to join "Hockey Night in Canada" was such good timing. I've got a family now, 15-, 13- and 11-year-old kids and I get an opportunity to stay in the game and be around a little bit more for them.