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And down goes Downie...
Was the 20-game suspension imposed on Flyers prospect Steve Downie worth it?
Damn right it was.
At least it was if the NHL really is making serious steps on cracking down on dangerous and illegal hits like the one Downie, the 20-year-old with a history of junior hockey suspensions, laid on Dean McAmmond in Ottawa last Tuesday.
Lining him up, almost stalking him, leaving his feet to drill him in the head ... this was essentially how NHL disciplinary dean Colin Campbell -- and several people he consulted while considering Downie's case -- saw the hit. It is almost a textbook example of what the league is moving to outlaw, and so Downie becomes an example for others to look at.
Forget those 3 or 4- game suspensions that used to be doled out for dangerous hits from behind into the boards and the like. Now they'll be closer to the 20 games that Downie received. Or at least they better be, because if not, if the league just slides back to the way things used to be ... the Flyers have a real case that Campbell wasn't really making a well thought out and considered decision, but just bowed to Canadian media pressure instead.
Up there north of the border, where hockey players rank as the Lindsay Lohans of the news day, Downie has been reviled. A wild man who thinks nothing of beating up junior hockey teammates, a bad seed ... forget the fact that he helped Team Canada win a World Junior championship.
Anyway, the reaction up there was unfair ... which is nothing new. But what is new is the huge crackdown that Judge Colie is now overseeing.
He made a huge statement with this first case with Downie.
Now we'll see what happens when someone else gets dragged before him for doing the same thing.
Damn right it was.
At least it was if the NHL really is making serious steps on cracking down on dangerous and illegal hits like the one Downie, the 20-year-old with a history of junior hockey suspensions, laid on Dean McAmmond in Ottawa last Tuesday.
Lining him up, almost stalking him, leaving his feet to drill him in the head ... this was essentially how NHL disciplinary dean Colin Campbell -- and several people he consulted while considering Downie's case -- saw the hit. It is almost a textbook example of what the league is moving to outlaw, and so Downie becomes an example for others to look at.
Forget those 3 or 4- game suspensions that used to be doled out for dangerous hits from behind into the boards and the like. Now they'll be closer to the 20 games that Downie received. Or at least they better be, because if not, if the league just slides back to the way things used to be ... the Flyers have a real case that Campbell wasn't really making a well thought out and considered decision, but just bowed to Canadian media pressure instead.
Up there north of the border, where hockey players rank as the Lindsay Lohans of the news day, Downie has been reviled. A wild man who thinks nothing of beating up junior hockey teammates, a bad seed ... forget the fact that he helped Team Canada win a World Junior championship.
Anyway, the reaction up there was unfair ... which is nothing new. But what is new is the huge crackdown that Judge Colie is now overseeing.
He made a huge statement with this first case with Downie.
Now we'll see what happens when someone else gets dragged before him for doing the same thing.
posted by Rob Parent at
2:42 PM
2 Comments:
Agreed. I like the stiff penalty for another reason. If you forget that you're a Flyers fan and that Downie is a Flyers Prospect for 1 minute, here is a guy who never played an NHL regular season game and he possibly ended the career of a 15 year NHL vet by intentionally delivering a dirty hit. That's not good for anybody and hopefully Downie will learn a lesson from this and be a better player for it.
hey rob, would love to see this become an almost daily column. flyers fans have been pretty much in search of anything constructive and well as professionally opinionated.
yeah. 20 games is fine with me. i think the league wasnt willing to just not consider this young kids past. as they shouldnt. i would however like to see some consistency with the suspensions. the nhl took this situation as the perfect time to set the bar.
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