Former TSN Radio broadcaster Shawn Simpson passes away
Former TSN Radio personality Shawn Simpson has passed away at the age of 56.
A former goaltender who was selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round of the 1986 NHL draft, Simpson was a member of Team Canada at the 1987 World Junior Hockey Championship and played three seasons with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate in Baltimore before moving on to a career as an executive.
He served as director of hockey operations for the Capitals, as well as general manager of the AHL’s Portland Pirates, the team’s main affiliate. He later joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in the mid-2000s as a scout, and also served in an executive role in the KHL before joining Ottawa's TSN 1200 (then known as The Team 1200) in 2012.
A popular radio broadcaster in the nation's capital, Simpson co-hosted the station’s afternoon drive program with Ian Mendes from 2012 to 2019 and the station’s morning show with John Rodenburg from 2019 to 2023. He was also a mainstay on TSN 1200’s pre-game and post-game shows for Ottawa Senators broadcasts.
A native of Gloucester, Ont., Simpson played junior hockey in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds and Oshawa Generals.