Columns
November 20, 2008 09:38 PM
John Cudmore
Watching Steve Downie play hockey is like watching a controversial work of art.
He creates reaction.
You can appreciate his feistiness. In the next moment, he also has the capability to make his supporters cringe.
Let’s just say Downie is on the edgy side as a hockey player.
Yet that intangible quality, along with some considerable hockey skills, is precisely the reason the Philadelphia Flyers felt compelled to make the Queensville resident their first pick, 29th overall, in the 2005 draft.
And even more than his contributions to Canada’s effort at the 2006 world junior championships, including the game-winning goal in the gold-medal game, the most vivid image most people carry of Downie is a 20-game suspension he received for a pre-season rundown of the Ottawa Senators’ Dean McAmmond last year.
And that penalty was incurred before the York Simcoe Express graduate and former Aurora Tiger even played a regular season game at the NHL level.
In short, the 21-year-old is constantly under surveillance by hockey folks, even though he is still considered very much on the career upswing.
“I knew of the reputation preceding him, but I didn’t know how good he is,” said Norfolk Admirals’ head coach Darren Rumble after just two games with Downie in his American Hockey League team’s lineup.
Downie was traded from the Flyers to the Tampa Bay Lightning two weeks ago.
“I thought he was more of a grinder, but he is a very good player. He has hockey sense and that’s something you can’t teach.”
Downie, along with defenceman Steve Eminger of Woodbridge. went to Tampa for defenceman Matt Carle in the trade.
Downie played six games this season with the Flyers, amassing 11 penalty minutes. In parts of two seasons, he appeared in 38 NHL games, registering six goals and 12 assists for the Flyers.
More recently, in four games with the Philadelphia Phantoms, he had eight points, including seven assists, along with 23 penalty minutes,.
He had three assists in his second game with the Admirals last week, a feat that made him a bit of a trivia footnote.
He became the first team member this season to record a three-point game. Ironically, he is also the only player to register four points against Norfolk in a game earlier this season.
“I liked it there, but this is part of the business,” Downie said of his Philadelphia days. “I was surprised. I didn’t figure it was coming. But I can’t say I was disappointed. It’s never disappointing if a team wants you.
“Philadelphia (wasn’t) off to the start they wanted, so they wanted to make changes and get a good defenceman like Carle.”
The season got off to a rough start for Downie due to a knee injury suffered in training camp.
“It obviously set me back and I never really found my stride,” he said. “Things just kept snowballing. I’ll just do my thing down here. I’m glad to be somewhere where they like my game.”
As is often the case in pro hockey, what happens beyond the scope of one’s immediate team situation is often lost in the scenery.
It is an atmosphere that contributes to reputations, good or bad, some deserved, some not so much.
To many, Downie’s calling card was the aftermath of the incident with McAmmond. In a weird twist, though, at least people know who he is.
“Other than the McAmmond hit, I knew nothing of him,” conceded Rumble, a Barrie native. “Player-to-player, it doesn’t hurt to have that reputation. It buys space and time on the ice.
“I didn’t know him from Adam. He has a clean slate and that’s the way we have approached this season with all our players,” Rumble said.
“Steve is no different. So far, he’s willing to learn and ask questions.”
Rumble, who spent time as a player in the Philadelphia organization, said he has received several calls from friends within that organization lauding Downie’s strengths and potential.
“Philadelphia certainly didn’t give up on him,” Rumble said.
“People from that organization all say we got a good kid. That’s why you have to draft well. Sometimes when you make a trade, it includes prospects.
“I am thrilled to have a player of Steve’s quality and competitiveness. He immediately makes our team better. I look forward to helping Steve to become a full-time NHL player.”