[kickass32]

A little background on the little punk Downie..............





Playing career
Downie was selected in the 1st round, 29th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. Downie was suspended for 5 games, early in the 2005-06 OHL season for on-ice altercations with a teammate during practice. Downie blindly cross-checked and then fought teammate Akim Aliu during practice on September 28, knocking out 3 of Aliu's teeth. [1] The incident stemmed from 16 year old Aliu's refusal to take part in a hazing incident, which involved rookies being forced to stand naked in a cramped bus bathroom. The team suspended Downie for five games and Aliu for one and Downie was told to undergo professional counselling. Head coach Moe Mantha was suspended by the OHL and later fired by the team, and the team was fined $35,000 by the OHL. [2]. Downie left the team and requested a trade,and was eventually traded from the Windsor Spitfires, going to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for Peter Aston. Known for his high on-ice potential but immaturity in certain situations, Downie has also been involved in other unsportsmanlike incidents, including punching an opposing winger on the back of the head immediately after a face-off, when the winger was not aware. [3]

Brent Sutter named Downie to the Canadian World Junior Team for the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He made a name for himself in Vancouver where he was a contributor to Canada’s gold medal-winning effort, scoring two goals and four assists in six games and 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. “[Signing with the Flyers] was 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 preseason games, the club returned Downie to Peterborough.

Downie returned to the international stage yet again in December of 2006. He participated at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden. On January 5, 2007, Team Canada won the gold medal for the first time on European ice since 1997, with a 4-2 defeat over Team Russia. Throughout the whole tournament, though, Downie was involved in trade rumors. He was speculated to be traded to the Kitchener Rangers, London Knights, Saginaw Spirit, Windsor Spitfires, or Sudbury Wolves, and on January 8, 2007, Downie was traded to Kitchener 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.

On September 25, 2007, Downie also involved in an incident in where he blindsided Dean McAmmond. McAmmond was wheeled off on a stretcher and Downie received a match penalty, which means that Downie was automatically suspended and the incident will be reviewed. [4]


Awards
2006: Gold Medal (2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships)
2007: Gold Medal (2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships)

Records

Career statistics
Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2002-03 Aurora Tigers OPJHL 34 12 13 25 55 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Windsor Spitfires OHL 49 7 9 16 90 4 0 1 1 27
2004-05 Windsor Spitfires OHL 61 21 52 73 179 11 4 5 9 49
2005-06 Windsor Spitfires OHL 1 3 0 3 4 -- -- -- -- --
2005-06 Peterborough Petes OHL 34 16 34 50 109 19 6 15 21 38
2006-07 Peterborough Petes OHL 28 23 36 59 92 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 Kitchener Rangers OHL 17 12 21 33 32 -- -- -- -- --
OHL Totals 188 82 152 234 506 34 10 21 31 114

Stats as of the end of the 2006-07 OHL Regular Season