Saw ALIU play for first time last night...

[SneakerPimp82]

Actually it wasn't. The crosscheck happened because Aliu was dogging it in practice, Downie said something, Aliu replied and was hit. Then the fight ensued. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that the hazing incident had nothing to do with, it was probably the source of some of the problems. But to say it was the sole cause is wrong. That gives the impression that Downie was to blame for the hazing, which may or may not be the case. He may have been involved, but he was never suspended by the league after their investigation.

Nowhere has it even been suggested that Downie was the leader of the hazing incident. The coaches are the ones that should've kept an eye on that, so the head coach got suspended for the rest of the year and the team was fined. Downie himself was suspended for 5 games because of the cross-check and the fight. I think the coaching staff is the most to blame for the situation getting this bad.

Also, if Aliu was dogging it, then it's the coaches' job to say something to him, not Downie, or any of the teammates. Plus, it's one thing to tap a guy on the shoulder and say, "hey dude, pick it up you're dogging it." It's quite another to tap him on the shoulder and cross-check him in the face. But hey, it's two kids playing hockey, and with the seemingly clueless coaching staff down there, I'll give Downie the benefit of the doubt. But still, Downie seems like the kinda guy who'd pull this sort of stunt.

 

[TorontoHabs90]

so without asking you, what they told you..
could you tell us , who in your opinion was wrong!

Well, it's hard to tell because both sides of the story were probably biased accordingly...I think what happened was that the team as a whole was hazing the rookies, especially downie. Downie had began being more harsh to Akim because Akim would refuse to participate in other hazing incidents and basically told them to ******* off, so Downie would do more and more things such as spitting on the dressing room floor and telling Akim to clean it up, but Akim is not that kind of kid. He may have been one of the rookies on the team but he's got a mean-streak just like Downie, and he refused to obey the older guys on the team when it had something to do with hazing. Downie would get on Akim's case in practice becuase of this by telling him to "pick it up" etc, cause as I said earlier, he didn't like his attitude. Downie eventually cross checked him in the mouth...Akim left the ice for a second, and then came back and they began to scrap.

So basically, to leave alot of details out and to make a long story short, Downie was just traditionally hazing, but Akim had attitude back because he wouldn't take that crap, so Downie got angry and things began to happen...

 

[Panopticon]

So basically, to leave alot of details out and to make a long story short, Downie was just traditionally hazing, but Akim had attitude back because he wouldn't take that crap, so Downie got angry and things began to happen...

I know what's eating Downie. Watching Aliu refuse to take part in that ****, he realized that he could've done the same when he was a rookie. He realized he didn't actually have to be naked in a tight space with a bunch of other dudes or clean someone's spit off the floor.

I'm not a big fan of hazing myself. It's pretty much the reason why I stopped playing hockey. I broke a guys jaw (he wasn't hazing me, though, he was hazing my younger brother) and got suspended for over 6 months (rest of the season). Lost interest after that. I wasn't that good anyway, I mean my brother was almost on the same level as me at that point and he was three years younger.

 

[Fedz]

Also, if Aliu was dogging it, then it's the coaches' job to say something to him, not Downie, or any of the teammates..

You've never played Junior or a high level of hockey before have you?

Problems on most squads at the level are solved before the coach even notices, or cares to notice. Coaches don't care if you dog it, if you dog it, you sit, or you get the hell off the ice.

Who cares when you dog it? Your teammates because it shows a lack of respect, and understanding for what everyone else has done to get to that point in their hockey careers.

I'm not backing Downie, but you gotta pay the price, cause you know for sure Aliu is going to be a pompous ass to the youngsters when he is 19.

 

[SneakerPimp82]

You've never played Junior or a high level of hockey before have you?

Problems on most squads at the level are solved before the coach even notices, or cares to notice. Coaches don't care if you dog it, if you dog it, you sit, or you get the hell off the ice.

Who cares when you dog it? Your teammates because it shows a lack of respect, and understanding for what everyone else has done to get to that point in their hockey careers.

I'm not backing Downie, but you gotta pay the price, cause you know for sure Aliu is going to be a pompous ass to the youngsters when he is 19.

If the coaches are letting your teammates dictate to you when you're dogging it and when you're not, they're not fit to be coaching a team. And who exactly decides if you sit or not when you dog it? It wouldn't be the coaches would it?

Yes when a guy dogs it, his teammates will most likely shame him into playing better. But at the end of the day, it's the coaches JOB, let me underline/bold/italicize that mutha****a, it's their JOB to tell the kids to pick up the pace or get sat in the next game.

And yea, I'd like to get your crystal ball that shows for sure that Aliu will be a Steve Downie pompous ass to the youngsters when he is 19.

Also, if habsfan88 is telling the truth, it makes Downie seem not only like a pompous ass, but also a jealous pompous ass due to his not standing up for himself like Aliu did. But whatever, I've got a business to run, and 2 juicy croissants and cocoa are waiting for me..

 

[SneakerPimp82]

I know what's eating Downie. Watching Aliu refuse to take part in that ****, he realized that he could've done the same when he was a rookie. He realized he didn't actually have to be naked in a tight space with a bunch of other dudes or clean someone's spit off the floor.

I'm not a big fan of hazing myself. It's pretty much the reason why I stopped playing hockey. I broke a guys jaw (he wasn't hazing me, though, he was hazing my younger brother) and got suspended for over 6 months (rest of the season). Lost interest after that. I wasn't that good anyway, I mean my brother was almost on the same level as me at that point and he was three years younger.

ding ding ding. i think you pretty much hit this on the head. i'd give you a cookie but man these croissants taste a lot better.

 

[Dr Pepper]

When he makes the NHL, are all his assists going to be known as "aliu-ps" (alley-oops)?

 

[RUSqueelin*]

Well, it's hard to tell because both sides of the story were probably biased accordingly...I think what happened was that the team as a whole was hazing the rookies, especially downie. Downie had began being more harsh to Akim because Akim would refuse to participate in other hazing incidents and basically told them to ******* off, so Downie would do more and more things such as spitting on the dressing room floor and telling Akim to clean it up, but Akim is not that kind of kid. He may have been one of the rookies on the team but he's got a mean-streak just like Downie, and he refused to obey the older guys on the team when it had something to do with hazing. Downie would get on Akim's case in practice becuase of this by telling him to "pick it up" etc, cause as I said earlier, he didn't like his attitude. Downie eventually cross checked him in the mouth...Akim left the ice for a second, and then came back and they began to scrap.

So basically, to leave alot of details out and to make a long story short, Downie was just traditionally hazing, but Akim had attitude back because he wouldn't take that crap, so Downie got angry and things began to happen...

You are telling this story like you were there. But you are probably so far off from what happened. So why say stuff like this?

Aliu was a pompus, cocky rookie. Most of his teammates hated him in Windsor. He refused to do anything a rookie teammate would normally do ie pick pucks up after warm up or put equipment on bus etc. If there was no hazing incident Downie still would have popped him in the face. (Downie obviously took the wrong actions to correct the problem - he had his own problems - put I totally see where he was coming from when he fought Aliu in practice).

Aliu's coming around I think. But I still believe he's still a problem in Sudbury. Hopefully his attitude changes cause as right now, I'd never draft him on my team.