TSN: Shawn Simpson passed away.

[Cosmix]

Wow, that's a shocker. I think he was just 56 years old. Way too young.

Too young to be gone. Condolences to his family and friends. I did not know the man but based on Ian Mendez' comments he was a or became a fine human being.

Being much older, I understand family losses more than many if not most on this site. Losing Simmer at the young age of 56 must be devastating to his loved ones. RIP.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

His thread on X. Just going through it. He loved hockey and Loved the Sens. He was a lot of fun.

x.com

x.com

What a loss. I feel so bad he couldn't connect with someone that gave him some hope to carry on.

 

[Beech]

RIP

 

[Do Make Say Think]

This is just awful...

Simmer, you made the pandemic tolerable, I loved listening to you on TSN1200 and was so happy when you joined Coming in Hot...

Godspeed

 

[SlyDawg]

This...this one hurt, no lie.

Having done writing on the Sens, and having listened to TSN1200 since 2007, Shawn was a staple of a person who gaves zero effs and spoke it like he meant it. He spoke and explained exactly how he saw it, and would call people out on bad takes. He was a breath of fresh air, and every interaction that I had with him was nothing but positive. I had all the time in the world for Shawn. We had constructive back and forths on Twitter and I thought that we always agreed mostly and was always happy when he would acknowledge me.

This one really sucks because he was one of my favorite parts of 1200. When he left, I kept constantly watching his tweets, which some were absolute gold. But it's such a crap way on how our minds and our brains make us suffer in the worst possible ways.

Shawn had his demons and he fought them to the best of his abilities and since the 1200 article with Ian, he was always an advocate of mental health. It was so inspiring for him to have opened up like that.

I hope he rests in peace, and is free of his demons, finally. When I left X, he was the one follow I would 100% absolutely miss the most and I did. I always watched his podcast as long as he was on, and I figured something was up when he disappeared from his podcast, suddenly. I was happy to see him bounce back on Coming in Hot, but I kind of had a feeling something was going on after he suddenly disappeared again.

Gonna miss ya, Shawn. Thank you for the talks, thank you for the support, and thank you for the laughs. You were a staple in my sports life and I'll always appreciate the interactions.

 

[Larionov]

His thread on X. Just going through it. He loved hockey and Loved the Sens. He was a lot of fun.

x.com

x.com

What a loss. I feel so bad he couldn't connect with someone that gave him some hope to carry on.

He did - he had Brent Wallace, Ian Mendes, and many others from his broadcasting days reaching out and trying to help him. Heck, I saw today that after his release from rehab last year he was living with the family of a fellow who knew him well - Simmer had hit rock bottom, obviously, and needed a place to stay. These fine people all tried to help, and many of them are going to be plagued by guilt wishing they could have done more when the truth is that they did everything they could. Unfortunately the demons sometimes win the battle, as they did this time. Just a sad situation all around...

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

He did - he had Brent Wallace, Ian Mendes, and many others from his broadcasting days reaching out and trying to help him. Heck, I saw today that after his release from rehab last year he was living with the family of a fellow who knew him well - Simmer had hit rock bottom, obviously, and needed a place to stay. These fine people all tried to help, and many of them are going to be plagued by guilt wishing they could have done more when the truth is that they did everything they could. Unfortunately the demons sometimes win the battle, as they did this time. Just a sad situation all around...

I'm sure he had some very solid, nice offers and many people did what they could. He is a part of the connection I eluded to and he would have to be accepting, comfortable and ready for it. Nothing negative here for all those who offered help.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I am not sure how many people actually realized Shawn was in this kind of deep trouble. Many new he was struggling and his personality always gave off the public impression that he was mostly ok and mostly dealing with it and staying on top . Definitely have to thank Wally and Ian for getting to him and helping in this time of need.

 

[LiseL]

I was wondering that as well. All of a sudden he wasn't on the show. And I was wondering if they ever addressed why Bobby Ryan left Coming in Hot as well.

Very sad and shocking news to hear he has died. Simmer had a great sense of humour and had some real honest takes about the Sens.

Bobby Ryan left the show because of some comments he had made on social media. Simmer left the show to take care of himself, according to what he posted on X.

 

[albator71]

That's why it's so important for us men to not be embarrassed to get professional help if we are dealing with mental issues, depression, anxiety are not joke, RIP Simmer I will be miss

 

[SlyDawg]

I am not sure how many people actually realized Shawn was in this kind of deep trouble. Many new he was struggling and his personality always gave off the public impression that he was mostly ok and mostly dealing with it and staying on top . Definitely have to thank Wally and Ian for getting to him and helping in this time of need.

Oh my gods.

This absolutely *gutted* me reading this. As someone who had a friend go down the dark road, this hit me like a effin bag of bricks and gutted me so badly. I can't even imagine Wally and Ian right now and what they can process, but I have an inkling because I literally had the exact same thought process that Brent is talking about with my friend.

Gods, that ripped open a wound but thank you for sharing. It makes it a lot more raw to deal with, but so much more to it..What a god damn day honestly.

Get told I get a permanent position offer to offset this terrible news.

 

[Blotto71]

That's why it's so important for us men to not be embarrassed to get professional help if we are dealing with mental issues, depression, anxiety are not joke, RIP Simmer I will be miss

This deserves so much more than a like. And I don't think it is taking anything away from Simmer - he asked for and received help, he was open about his struggles. The part that might be even tougher than originally opening up is remembering that you won't one day just be "better". It's every day, and it wears you down, so always appreciate the good, the kind, the compassionate - those people are out there and I meet them every day and am eternally grateful for them.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Oh my gods.

This absolutely *gutted* me reading this. As someone who had a friend go down the dark road, this hit me like a effin bag of bricks and gutted me so badly. I can't even imagine Wally and Ian right now and what they can process, but I have an inkling because I literally had the exact same thought process that Brent is talking about with my friend.

Gods, that ripped open a wound but thank you for sharing. It makes it a lot more raw to deal with, but so much more to it..What a god damn day honestly.

Get told I get a permanent position offer to offset this terrible news.

hang in there

 

[albator71]

This deserves so much more than a like. And I don't think it is taking anything away from Simmer - he asked for and received help, he was open about his struggles. The part that might be even tougher than originally opening up is remembering that you won't one day just be "better". It's every day, and it wears you down, so always appreciate the good, the kind, the compassionate - those people are out there and I meet them every day and am eternally grateful for them.

Thank You for sharing, it's true that it is a constant battle and some days you feel good and others days you just don't want to be here anymore. That's when you need people who will support you help you. The worst thing that can happen to a human being is to feel alone, to feel that no one cares, please take a moment to look around you take the time to be kind to one another, there's no substitute to love and compassion.

 

[RyCam]

This is so sad

RIP Simmer, I loved the fact that you always spoke your mind and didn't hold back, even if doing so would get you in trouble. It sucks that it's always the good ones who leave us early.

Having to deal with depression myself, I can only imagine what Simmer was going through. I hope you found the peace that you were longing for buddy

 

[SlyDawg]

hang in there

Thanks. It’s been a few years. I’d like to say maybe five? But stuff like this gets to me because I went though what Wally feels in that post. But while he was able to help Shawn out in a moment, it was different on my side and it comes and goes when I hear stories like that.

Again, thank you for sharing that. It does humanize it in the sense that what I went through and still sometimes do, others as well. There’s a sense of community in these kinds of situation that exist. And it’s not a community anyone wants to be in, but every one who’s dealt with this can lean on each other.

I’m sure Wally and Ian have fantastic support groups. But it’s a rough stretch for a bit. I will say that doing a eulogy for my friend help close that a bit and start the healing. I hope anyone who was close to Shawn has a way to close the chapter and begin healing, whatever that may be.

It’s a struggle some days but we make do. I’m sure they will be ok and do well with their support. And from all the fans of both Ian and Wally, they are in good hands.

 

[Wondercarrot]

I am not sure how many people actually realized Shawn was in this kind of deep trouble. Many new he was struggling and his personality always gave off the public impression that he was mostly ok and mostly dealing with it and staying on top . Definitely have to thank Wally and Ian for getting to him and helping in this time of need.

Those are truly great friends, I’m so sad for them, their loss, and for those terrible feelings of guilt that can seem inescapable not matter how much effort was poured in…
That post by Wally has really hit me in a profoundly emotional way - just an awful day for everyone.

Take care everyone, especially to anyone I’ve been a jerk to here.

 

[Samboni]

Truthfully I don’t follow podcasts or listen to sports radio so I can’t say that I know much about Shawn. I do know about mental illness as I have loved ones who live with it day in and day out. Some days it can be crushing and getting out of bed can be harder than an Ironman competition. My thoughts and prayers go out to Shaw’s family, his friends, and anyone who has to face the “black dog”.

 

[Karterthadon]

Damn this stuff hits hard. A colleague of mine lost her son a couple of months ago. He was only 31 and he himself was a father to a young boy. He was battling depression for most of his life until he just couldn't take it anymore.

The worst part for her, was going through his stuff and finding out that he was actively visiting sites on how to "end things" in the weeks prior. Just an awful situation all around.

Prayers go out to all who are battling through this.

 

[mysens]

So so sad. It was nice that the Ottawa Senators paid a tribute to Simmer before the game last night. Its a shame he could never see that, the amount of respect the guy had, he had no clue. I am sad for his son he left behind. RIP Simmer.

 

[DrSense]

This is a real gut punch. I can honestly say, he has been my favorite radio guy to listen to over the years. A bit over the top and cheesy at times, but totally authentic, smart and insightful. The fact he was trying to get help and had a network of people around him trying to help, yet it still wasn't enough, somehow makes this feel even more tragic. It also helps you appreciate just how deep and dangerous mental health issues can be. Hopefully Simmer is looking down in some way learning how much he meant to people and how much joy he brought to so many over the years.

 

[Silencio]

I can’t imagine how painful this must be for those who knew and worked closely with Shawn. It’s clear how much his friends and colleagues cared about him and tried to support him, and I hope they know that their efforts mattered.

Mental health struggles, especially those rooted in childhood trauma (as I understand Shawn's were), can run so deep that even the best support can only do so much. It’s a heartbreaking reality that depression sometimes wins, not because someone didn’t fight hard enough or didn’t have people who cared, but because it can be relentless in ways that are hard to fully understand from the outside.

What matters is that Shawn had people in his life who truly cared for him, who stood by him, and who tried to help. That love wasn’t wasted—it made a difference, even if the outcome isn’t what anyone hoped for. I hope Ian, Wally, and others who sincerely tried to help can be kind to themselves in this tough time, knowing they did what they could, and that Shawn knew he wasn’t alone.

 

[Icelevel]

1. What do you do when someone tells you they’re not doing well?

2. Is there real help available for them or is it just talk - that one can get help?

3. What is the help that people can get to avoid those problems in the future?

Asking seriously because I don’t hear a lot of people talking about this in depth…just that “there is help if you need it”, and “let people know you’re not doing well”.

People knew Shawn wasn’t doing well. He talked about it. Yet here we are mourning.

 

[Masked]

1. What do you do when someone tells you they’re not doing well?

2. Is there real help available for them or is it just talk - that one can get help?

There really isn't much help out there for those with mental health struggles. It's even worse if the person in question isn't in a place to understand they're experiencing mental health struggles.

I'd say more but it would likely break rule 4 on here.

 

[Icelevel]

There really isn't much help out there for those with mental health struggles. It's even worse if the person in question isn't in a place to understand they're experiencing mental health struggles.

I'd say more but it would likely break rule 4 on here.

From what I’ve experienced I’d agree.
I also don’t like the language about “mental illness” being used as if there is something wrong with the individual. People talking about it as a “disease”.

I would argue that in most cases of depression and anxiety it is natural and reasonable reaction to what is going on around them. And that what is going on around them is the actual problem.

The depression and anxiety can set in when it seems no one else cares about what’s going on and that there may be no incoming solution because of it.

A lot of people are on medication to “stabilize their mood” or they may just block things out and ignore and pretend they are happy and all is well. That would be more of a sickness the way I see it considering the long term and far reaching consequences when large issues we face today aren’t dealt with while “putting on a smile”.