Terry Simpson given big honour by WHL

Former General Manager and Head Coach of the Prince Albert Raiders Terry Simpson, has been selected as the recipient of the 2011 WHL Governors Award, said the Western Hockey League Friday in a news release.

The WHL Governors Award is presented annually to an individual who, through his outstanding services as a builder of the league and achievements in the game, has contributed to the growth and development of the WHL.

In 1972, Simpson agreed on a temporary basis to coach the fledgling Prince Albert Raiders, then of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. In a short period of time, Simpson led the Junior ‘A’ Raiders to five National Championship Centennial Cup finals, capturing the title four times. The success of the Junior ‘A’ Raiders, in which Simpson was instrumental, launched the community-owned team to obtain a WHL franchise for the 1982-83 season. With Simpson at the helm, the Raiders experienced the same rise to supremacy in the WHL and Canadian Hockey League. The Raiders won WHL and Memorial Cup Championships in 1985, just three years after joining the League. In total, the two time WHL Coach of the Year (1984 and 1986) spent 15 years coaching the Prince Albert Raiders in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and WHL from 1972 through 1986, then again in 1988-89.

In 1992, Terry, along with his brother Wayne, were granted a WHL expansion team and brought the Rebels to Red Deer. The Simpson’s played a pivotal role in introducing the WHL and major junior hockey to central Alberta, before turning ownership over to Brent Sutter in 1999.

Simpson went on to head coach 338 games in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia Flyers, while also serving as an Assistant Coach with the Flyers, Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs. He also led Team Canada to a World Junior Championship Gold Medal in 1986 as Head Coach of Canada’s National Junior Team. Simpson is now retired and resides in Saskatoon.

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Simpson will be honoured at the annual WHL Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May. 4 in Calgary.

Previous recipients were: Ken Hodge (2009-10); Bob Brown (2008 – 09); Bill Hunter, Scotty Munro and Jim Piggott (2007 – 08); Bob Cornell (2006 – 07); Jack McLeod (2005 – 06); Pat Ginnell, Ernie McLean, Bill Hicke and Del Wilson (2004 – 05).

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