Steve Downie Information & Steve Downie Links at HealthHaven.com

Born	April 3, 1987 (age 22),; Newmarket, ON, CAN
Height; Weight	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m); 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team; F. teams	Tampa Bay Lightning; Philadelphia Flyers
Ntl. team	Canada
NHL Draft	29th overall, 2005; Philadelphia Flyers
Pro career	2007 – present

For those of a similar name, see Stephen Downey.

Steve Downie (born April 3, 1987, in Newmarket, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays right wing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.

[edit] Playing career

Downie was selected in the first round, 29th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. Downie was suspended for five 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 three 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 counseling. 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.

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 pre-season games, the club returned Downie to Peterborough.

Downie returned to the international stage yet again in December 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 November 7, 2008, Downie was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Steve Eminger for defenceman Matt Carle.

[edit] Suspensions

During a September 25, 2007, preseason game against the Ottawa Senators, Downie was involved in an incident in which he checked left winger Dean McAmmond. Downie hit an unsuspecting McAmmond, catching him with his head down. Due the extent of McAmmond's injury and that he had left his skates in the hit, Downie was suspended by the NHL, as they were cracking down on any play resulting in a head injury. [3]

On September 28, 2007, Downie was suspended by the NHL for 20 games. To date, it is the fifth longest suspension given by the league. [4] [5]

On September 29, 2007, the Philadelphia Flyers announced they had sent Downie down to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms. Per AHL by-laws, Downie was considered automatically ineligible to play pending a review by the AHL. AHL President David Andrews ruled that Downie was ineligible to play in the AHL for one month from the start of the 2007–08 season. [6]

On March 1, 2009, Downie was suspended indefinitely by the AHL, pending league review, for the physical abuse of an official in a game the previous day. [7] On March 5, 2009, the AHL suspended Downie for 20 games. [8]

[edit] NHL

Downie made his National Hockey League debut on December 5, 2007 against the Minnesota Wild.

He scored his first NHL goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 5, 2008.

[edit] Awards

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

[edit] 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	9	8	14	22	15
2006–07	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	1	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	21	5	12	17	114	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	32	6	6	12	73	6	0	1	1	10
2008–09	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	6	0	0	0	11	—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	4	1	7	8	23	—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Norfolk Admirals	AHL	23	8	17	25	107	—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	23	3	3	6	54	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			61	9	9	18	138	6	0	1	1	10

[edit] Personal

Downie's father died in a car accident when Downie was only seven years old while driving to a hockey practice.[9]
He is deaf in his left ear due to the hearing disorder otosclerosis and wears a hearing aid.

[edit] International play

Played for Ontario in:

2004 World Hockey Challenge

Played for Canada in:

[edit] International statistics

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Ontario	U-17	6	3	3	6	8
2006	Canada	WJC	6	2	4	6	16
2007	Canada	WJC	6	1	4	5	16

[edit] External links

Preceded by Mike Richards	Philadelphia Flyers' first round draft pick 2005	Succeeded by Claude Giroux

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