Steve Downie (born April 3, 1987) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
who played in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) for the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
,
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
,
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
and
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
, with the Flyers having drafted him in the first round, 29th overall, in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
.
Playing career
Downie grew up in
Holland Landing, Ontario
Holland Landing is a community in the town of East Gwillimbury, located in the northern part of the Regional Municipality of York, in south-central Ontario, Canada. Its major road is Yonge Street (bypassed by the former Highway 11) and the commun ...
, the younger son of Anne and the late John Downie. He has one sibling, brother Greg, and attended
Sacred Heart High School in Newmarket. He played
minor ice hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from cla ...
for the York-Simcoe Express AAA organization of the
Ontario Minor Hockey Association
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) is a minor ice hockey governing body in Ontario. The OMHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada.
History
The OMHA was founded on November 30, 1940, after a merger of the Ontari ...
(OMHA), and competed in the 2001
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with them. Downie led his Express Bantam team to the All-Ontario AAA Championship in April 2002. He later attended
St. Joseph's Catholic High School in
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...
, in 2004. He was drafted in the first round, 16th overall, by the
Windsor Spitfires
The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975 ...
in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection.
Junior
Downie was selected in the first round, 29th overall, in the
2005 NHL Entry Draft
The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was the 43rd NHL Entry Draft. Originally scheduled to be held on June 25, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to the draft being postponed to July 30.
Special procedures were required to determine the order of picks, because ...
by the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...
. Not long after being drafted, Downie was suspended for five games early in the
2005–06 OHL season
The 2005–06 OHL season was the 26th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Canadian Hockey League adopted the new playing rules and enforcement recently adopted by the National Hockey League in efforts to speed up the game, and make it more ex ...
for an on-ice altercation with teammate
Akim Aliu
Akim Aliu (born April 24, 1989) is a Nigeria-born Canadian- Ukrainian former professional ice hockey player. He last played for HC Litvínov in the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Aliu was a second round selection of the Chicago Blackhawks, 56th overall, ...
. During a practice on September 28, 2005, Downie cross-checked Aliu in the face without warning, knocking out seven of his teeth, and then proceeded to fight his younger teammate. The incident stemmed from 16-year-old Aliu's refusal to take part in a
hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
incident, where he would have been forced to stand naked in a cramped bus bathroom with other rookies. The team suspended Downie for five games and Aliu for one, and Downie was told to undergo professional counseling. Spitfires Head Coach
Moe Mantha Jr. was suspended by the OHL and later fired by the team, and the team was fined $35,000 by the OHL. Downie left the team, requesting a trade, and was eventually traded to the
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.
...
in exchange for Peter Aston. In 2020, Aliu would reflect on the incident in an opinion piece entitled "Hockey Is Not For Everyone". Aliu described other hazing incidents leading to the attack and stated he viewed them as being racially motivated, calling Downie a "racist sociopath" and further remarking "He looked at me and saw a black boy with a weird accent — and didn’t like me because of it. I was attacked because of the color of my skin."
Brent Sutter
Brent Colin Sutter (born June 10, 1962) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player and former head coach of the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sut ...
named Downie to the
Canadian junior team for the
2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2006 WJHC'') were held in Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. The championships began on December 26, 2005, and finished on January 5, 2006. Games were played at GM Place and ...
in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. He made a name for himself at the tournament, contributing to Canada's
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
-winning effort by scoring two goals and four assists in six games while also being named to the all-tournament team.
On May 30, 2006, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they had signed Downie to a three-year, entry-level contract. "It is unbelievable," said Downie in a Flyers press release. "
igning with the Flyerswas one of the goals that I had set at the beginning of the year and I am just very thankful for this chance. I’m a gritty, physical player and I also am an offensive player as well."
After attending Flyers' training camp in the Fall and playing in several pre-season games, however, the club returned Downie to Peterborough. Downie returned to the international stage yet again in December 2006, participating in the
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2007 WJHC'') was the 2007 edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Ar ...
in
Leksand
Leksand () is a locality and the seat of Leksand Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,934 inhabitants in 2010.
Sport
Leksand is famous for the Leksands IF ice hockey team, who have won 4 Swedish Championships, although the team is curren ...
and
Mora
Mora may refer to:
People
* Mora (surname)
Places Sweden
* Mora, Säter, Sweden
* Mora, Sweden, the seat of Mora Municipality
* Mora Municipality, Sweden
United States
* Mora, Louisiana, an unincorporated community
* Mora, Minnesota, a city
* M ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. On January 5, 2007, Canada won the gold medal for the first time on European ice since 1997 with a 4–2 victory over
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. Throughout the whole tournament, however, Downie was involved in OHL trade rumours. On January 8, 2007, Downie was indeed traded to the
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL ...
in exchange for Yves Bastien, the Rangers' second-round picks in the 2007 and 2008 OHL Priority Selections, as well as the 2007 second-round pick of the
Brampton Battalion
The Brampton Battalion were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team was based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and started playing in 1998. As a result of consistently having among the lowest attendance in the OHL (last place ...
.
Professional
In his first full professional season in
2007–08, Downie's professional career got off to an inauspicious start during a pre-season game against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
on September 25, 2007. He was involved in an incident in which he checked unsuspecting left winger
Dean McAmmond
Dean W. McAmmond (born June 15, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. McAmmond played in the National Hockey League from 1992 to 2010 for nine teams.
Pre-NHL career
McAmmond played four seasons in the Western Hockey League wi ...
into the boards, while his feet
were off the ice. Due to the extent of McAmmond's injury and having left his skates during the hit, Downie was suspended by the NHL for 20 games three days later for deliberate injury to McAmmond, as the NHL were cracking down on any play resulting in a head injury. To date, it is the fifth-longest suspension given by the League. One day after the NHL suspension was announced, the Flyers announced they had sent Downie down to the team's
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Philadelphia Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played most of its home games at the Spectrum (arena), Spectrum ...
. Per AHL by-laws, Downie was considered automatically ineligible to play pending a review by the AHL (as the AHL honours NHL suspensions). AHL President
David Andrews suspended Downie for the first month of the AHL season as a result of the injuries to McAmmond.
After serving his suspension in the AHL, Downie made his long-awaited NHL regular season debut with the Flyers on December 5, 2007, against the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
. He scored his first career NHL goal over one month later, on January 5, 2008, against
Andrew Raycroft
Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft (born May 4, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy with t ...
of the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
. During the game, Downie got into a scuffle with Maple Leafs forward
Jason Blake. While the linesmen were attempting to keep them apart, Downie got his left arm loose and sucker-punched Blake in the left eye while Blake's arms and hands were still tied up by the other linesman. During a game against the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
on February 9, 2008, Downie was hip-checked by Rangers defenceman
Fedor Tyutin
Fedor Anatolievich Tyutin (russian: Фёдор Анатольевич Тютин, ''Fjodor Tjutin''; born 19 July 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Tyutin was drafted in the second round, 40th overall by the New York R ...
, and his skate hit linesman Pat Dapuzzo in the face. Dapuzzo required 60 stitches to reattach his nose, suffered ten facial fractures and was forced to retire as a result. During the
2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, in Game 3 of the
Eastern Conference Finals on May 13, 2008, Downie hit
Petr Sýkora
Petr Sýkora (; born November 19, 1976) is a Czech former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Pengu ...
as the play ended on
Ryan Malone
Ryan Gregory Malone (born December 1, 1979) nicknamed "Bugsy", is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers. In 2003, ...
's goal that gave the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
a 3–1 lead. Sýkora did not have the puck when Downie hit him.
In the following season,
2008–09, Downie initially made the Flyers' opening night roster before being later demoted to Phantoms. On November 7, 2008, Downie was traded by the Flyers to the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
, along with
Steve Eminger
Steve Eminger (born October 31, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Eminger, who is also known for his physical play, started his hockey career with the Kitch ...
, in exchange for defenceman
Matt Carle. Downie was immediately assigned to Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate, the
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals has been the name of two professional ice hockey franchises:
* Norfolk Admirals (AHL), a team which played in the American Hockey League from 2000 to 2015
*Norfolk Admirals (ECHL)
The Norfolk Admirals are a professional ice hock ...
, before he was recalled and made his Lightning debut in a 4–2 defeat against the Minnesota Wild on November 28, 2008. Downie continued to split the season between Norfolk and Tampa Bay, and his reputation for unnecessary aggressive behaviour was further developed on February 28, 2009, after he slashed a
linesman, Mike Hamilton, in the shin following a controversial empty-net goal in a game against the
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the c ...
, receiving a game misconduct for physical abuse of an official. Under AHL rules, the penalty carried an automatic 20-game suspension, which was Downie's second lengthy suspension. He would later make his return in the NHL regular season finale game for the Lightning.
In the
2009–10 season, with the intention to curb his on-ice aggression positively, whilst under the influence of former agitator and then-Lightning Head Coach
Rick Tocchet
Richard Tocchet (; born April 9, 1964) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Playing as a Winger (ice hockey), right winger, he played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburg ...
, Downie played his first full season in the NHL and recorded a career-high 22 goals and 46 points. Downie also became the first player since
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, author, and motivational speaker. Fleury played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the ...
in 2002 to score 20 goals and record over 200 penalty minutes in a single season.
In March 2010, Downie was fined for a hit on the Pittsburgh Penguins'
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...
. Downie stated that
Colin Campbell Colin may refer to:
* Colin (given name)
* Colin (surname)
* ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie
* Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse
* Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney, ...
, League disciplinarian, told him it was a "dangerous play." Downie finished his first full season with 46 points in 79 games. After a successful NHL season, he was then selected to participate in the
2010 World Championships for
Team Canada.
Prior to the commencement of the
2010–11 season, on August 25, 2010, Downie re-signed with the Lightning on a two-year contract worth $3.7 million. Having established himself offensively with Tampa, Downie's versatility and checking game helped provide 32 points in 57 games, whilst finishing with 171 penalty minutes to place tenth in the League. In contributing to the Lightning's return to the
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs (french: Les séries éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley) is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League (NHL) consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series to determine the league champion and the winner ...
in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, Downie led the team in
plus-minus rating and finished fourth in team scoring with 14 points, as the Lightning ultimately reached the Eastern Conference Finals, falling to the eventual
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
champions, the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
.
At the beginning of the
2011–12 season, Downie appeared in his 200th career NHL game against the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
on October 10, 2011. He later set a Lightning franchise record for two quickest goals by an individual when he scored twice within the span of 11 seconds against Pittsburgh on February 12, 2012. Whilst in the final year of his contract, and with the Lightning under-performing, Downie was traded to the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
in exchange for defenceman
Kyle Quincey
Kyle Quincey (born August 12, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He most recently played for HIFK of the Finnish Liiga. Quincey played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings ...
, who was himself traded later that same day to the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, on February 21, 2012. The next day, Downie made his Avalanche debut in a 4–1 victory over the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
. Immediately placed on the Avalanche's top line alongside
Ryan O'Reilly
Ryan O'Reilly (born February 7, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres. O'Reilly was dra ...
and
Gabriel Landeskog
Gabriel Landeskog (; born 23 November 1992) is a Swedish professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL).
He was selected second overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by Colorado. On ...
, Downie provided instant success and coincidentally became the first Avalanche player since Theoren Fleury in 1999 to score seven points in his first four games with the club. Downie continued to score 13 points in 20 games whilst hampered by a lingering shoulder injury as the Avalanche failed to qualify for the
2012 playoffs. He achieved a career-high combined 27 assists for the season before he was shut down to endure off-season surgery to repair a
separated shoulder
A separated shoulder, also known as acromioclavicular joint injury, is a common injury to the acromioclavicular joint. The AC joint is located at the outer end of the clavicle where it attaches to the acromion of the scapula. Symptoms include no ...
.
On June 29, 2012, the Avalanche re-signed Downie to a two-year, $5.3 million contract. Having used the
NHL lock-out to recuperate from off-season surgery, Downie entered the shortened
2012–13 season in full health, only to suffer a season-ending knee injury in just his second game of the campaign; he was injured trying to hit
Davis Drewiske
Davis Anthony Drewiske (born November 22, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens.
Playing career
Davis played his youth hocke ...
of the Los Angeles Kings, requiring surgery to repair a
torn anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
(ACL) in his right knee.
On October 31, 2013, after producing seven points in 11 games with the Avalanche to start the
2013–14 season, Downie was traded back to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for
Maxime Talbot
Maxime Talbot (born February 11, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins. He was drafted into ...
.
On July 2, 2014, Downie was signed as a free agent by the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
to a one-year, $1 million contract. Downie established himself amongst the Penguins lower checking lines, and proved good value for his contract in the
2014–15 season. He contributed with 14 goals and 28 points as he led the league in penalty minutes with 238.
At the conclusion of his contract, Downie opted to part ways with the Penguins and sign as a free agent to a one-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes on July 1, 2015.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Bold indicates led league
International
Personal life
* Downie's father, John Downie, died in a car accident in 1996 while driving Steve to a hockey practice.
* He is deaf in his right ear due to the hearing disorder
otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is a condition of the middle ear where portions of the dense enchondral layer of the bony labyrinth remodel into one or more lesions of irregularly-laid spongy bone. As the lesions reach the stapes the bone is resorbed, then har ...
and wears a hearing aid.
* On the road while playing for the Lightning, he shared rooms with linemate and friend
Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos (born February 7, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Stamkos was selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Lightning. He ...
.
* Downie was guilty of hazing allegations against Akim Aliu and cross checked him in the teeth breaking several teeth from Akim sticking up for him self
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Downie, Steve
1987 births
Arizona Coyotes players
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Canadian people of Irish descent
Colorado Avalanche players
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Kitchener Rangers players
Living people
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
Norfolk Admirals players
Sportspeople from Newmarket, Ontario
Peterborough Petes (ice hockey) players
Philadelphia Flyers draft picks
Philadelphia Flyers players
Philadelphia Phantoms players
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Springfield Falcons players
Tampa Bay Lightning players
Windsor Spitfires players