Steve Downie and WJC?

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Gags1288

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Steve Downie has rebounded very nicely from the incident with the Windsor Spitfies. In 8 games this season, he has registered 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points. In addition to that, he is a real spark plug and brings a lot to the table outside of his offensive abilities (which were said to be limited at the time of his draft). I know many wrote his WJC chances off after the incident with Aliu, but his recent play might be swaying some opinions.

So I guess what i'm wondering is: Has Downie's play been impressive for Plymouth? and more importantly, does he have a shot to make Canada's WJC squad (which looked likely before the incident)?
 

Brock

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Gags1288 said:
Steve Downie has rebounded very nicely from the incident with the Windsor Spitfies. In 8 games this season, he has registered 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points. In addition to that, he is a real spark plug and brings a lot to the table outside of his offensive abilities (which were said to be limited at the time of his draft). I know many wrote his WJC chances off after the incident with Aliu, but his recent play might be swaying some opinions.

So I guess what i'm wondering is: Has Downie's play been impressive for Plymouth? and more importantly, does he have a shot to make Canada's WJC squad (which looked likely before the incident)?

Well just to correct you, he plays for Peterborough, not Plymouth.

I think that is a very interesting question though. No question Downie is one of the more talented players in the OHL. And if he could harness his energy into being simply a pest, he could be a very valuable asset to Canada. But can he simply limit his role to being just a pest, or will an action he takes hurt Canada in some shape or form?

I really like Downie and I think he's a great prospect despite what's gone on with him over the past few months. However I don't think he'll end up being on team Canada. It's just not his game. He plays on a fine line, and that fine line is different in world junior play. I think it would only frustrate him and render him a relatively useless asset. Thats not saying I dont think he can be a very good NHL player, because I think he definitely can. I just don't think he'd be a very effective player at the WJC's.
 

Form and Substance

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He`ll probably get an invitee though I doubt he makes the team with all those less troublesome 87s ahead of him. His game though is definitely favourable to Sutter`s style.
 

Blind Gardien

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I think Downie's presence would be perceived as too much of a negative distraction. Not Downie's fault per se, but the reporters would then feel obliged to mention the hazing incident and his trade several times over the course of the tournament coverage, which is probably not something that Hockey Canada wants to hear more of. And it's not like the team is hurting to fill out their roster, either. They have plenty of players to choose from.

That plus as Brock said, the question of whether Downie can contain himself, particularly in a game full of sneaky stickwork with poor officiating... well, that's still too much in doubt. I've only seen him once so far this year, and he was completely unabrasive, completely unriled, completely calm, and still was first star, but it was a relative blowout for the Petes, so I don't know if he's turning over a newly self-controlled leaf, or it was just the game circumstances that kept him so much in line.

Probably he needs this year to make everybody believe in his self-control, and for the hazing stuff to die down. Then put him on next year's team.
 

BobMckenzie

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Now that he's back playing for Peterborough, and playing quite well, unless some drastic negative thing were to happen in the next week or so, Downie is, IMO, guaranteed to be invited to Canada's final camp and, based on his outstanding summer camp, is an excellent bet to make the national junior team. At the summer camp, he was rated by the coaches and management as one of the top three forwards. My hunch is that unless he crosses that line that was talked about by another poster, he'll make it, but that's not carved in stone and I don't doubt there'll be some political pressure to NOT take him because of what happened in Windsor.
 

Rabid Ranger

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Hey Bob, not to hi-jack the thread, but have you heard anything to confirm that Bobby Ryan is a lock for the U.S. team? You'd think he would be but you never know......
 

RUSqueelin*

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If Downie is on the team. Fine, I can handle that. But if he's playing and he "loses it" like he's known to do and costs Canada a game or the gold medal, I will be pissed! This reason and the fact that he'll likely become a distraction with the media (not unlike what Bertuzzi would go through in Turin) are enough reasons not to have him on the team.

I'm sure he'll get an invite to the camp, I hope hockey Canada has the brains. Canada doesn't "need" Downie to win a gold medal.
 

Transported Upstater

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Rabid Ranger said:
Hey Bob, not to hi-jack the thread, but have you heard anything to confirm that Bobby Ryan is a lock for the U.S. team? You'd think he would be but you never know......


If Bobby Ryan isn't a lock for the US team, Team USA has an uncontrollable bias against CHL players, because Ryan would be a top-line player for the American U-20's IMO.
 

Transported Upstater

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If Downie IS picked, I hope it isn't just because he is abrasive and plays Sutter's style; I hope it is because he earned his spot in tryouts or whatever.
 

canucksfan

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If Downie isn't invited to the camp, I'd be surprized. He's doing very well with the Petes right now. Moreover, he would bring energy to the home building similar to what Tootoo brought to Halifax.

Kind of OT but when do they annouce the players that got invited to the camp?
 

HabLover

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canucksfan said:
Kind of OT but when do they annouce the players that got invited to the camp?

I would say they will probably announce the camp roster early next week(Dec.5 or so) and that camp will probably start the following week(Dec. 12).
 

BrentZ10

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He hasn't really stuck out the two times I've seen him play this year. It is really easy to get him off his game and I don't think that is what Canada wants.
 

Avery4Byng*

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Interesting comments on an interesting topic, thanks for the info everyone.
 

Macman

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After watching last night's game against Russia, Downie should and will be on the team. He was a threat all night.
 

BobbyClarkeFan16

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He'll be invited, and while he's got the talent and the physical dimension to make the team, he doesn't have the character to survive on a Sutter-coached team.

Please. That's the most ridiculous comment I've read. Doesn't have the character to survive. Steve was a Sutter favorite at the preliminary camp. He's paid for his sins for what he did to Aliu. Let's not forget that the Windsor camp wasn't exactly a beacon of light in terms of environment. Moe Mantha ran a cesspool organization there and it was finally exposed. Downie and Aliu were more or less victims of an organization that was run amok. Notice how Steve has straightened out since going to Peterborough? Very different atmosphere. Steve will be on the WJC team and he will be a big part of the team. As for his so called "meltdowns" you can pretty much throw that out the window as well.
 

Transported Upstater

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BobbyClarkeFan16 said:
Please. That's the most ridiculous comment I've read. Doesn't have the character to survive. Steve was a Sutter favorite at the preliminary camp. He's paid for his sins for what he did to Aliu. Let's not forget that the Windsor camp wasn't exactly a beacon of light in terms of environment. Moe Mantha ran a cesspool organization there and it was finally exposed. Downie and Aliu were more or less victims of an organization that was run amok. Notice how Steve has straightened out since going to Peterborough? Very different atmosphere. Steve will be on the WJC team and he will be a big part of the team. As for his so called "meltdowns" you can pretty much throw that out the window as well.


I hate Downie, but I have to agree here. His gritty play seems perfect for a Sutter-coached team.
 

Blind Gardien

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TransportedUpstater said:
I hate Downie, but I have to agree here. His gritty play seems perfect for a Sutter-coached team.
And probably if Sutter really loves him, perhaps he has the weight to overrule any concerns Hockey Canada might have about Downie's potential for undisciplined play or the negative PR from Windsor. Downie's good enough to be on the team, for sure. If Sutter's a fan, he might still get there, against all the political odds. :dunno:
 

Greg7

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I don't mind if they take Downie based on his on ice play, but I hope they don't take him in an agitator role. At the summer camp he was strong, physical, and generally a noticable presence on the ice, but the thing that stood out most to me was his ability to get under the skin of guys. Tons of dirty little shots and hacks behind the play that drove guys nuts. Normally that's a valuable element to a team, I just don't know if his abrasive style fits in well at an international tournament that is already reffed quite differently from North American hockey.That doesn't seem necessary at a tournament like the WJs, and if that's what they have him for, it seems like a spot wasted to me. That doesn't mean he can't/shouldn't make the team on the merits of his play, but I hope that if he is chosen, that is the only reason.
 

Master Lok

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BobbyClarkeFan16 said:
Please. That's the most ridiculous comment I've read. Doesn't have the character to survive. Steve was a Sutter favorite at the preliminary camp. He's paid for his sins for what he did to Aliu. Let's not forget that the Windsor camp wasn't exactly a beacon of light in terms of environment. Moe Mantha ran a cesspool organization there and it was finally exposed. Downie and Aliu were more or less victims of an organization that was run amok. Notice how Steve has straightened out since going to Peterborough? Very different atmosphere. Steve will be on the WJC team and he will be a big part of the team. As for his so called "meltdowns" you can pretty much throw that out the window as well.

Downie's now the victim?
 

Lessy

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I think its a safe bet that he'll get an invite to the evaluation camp and at this point I'm thinking hes a bit less than a 50/50 shot to make it. His discipline needs to be there because penalties always kill you in the WJC unless your the 2005 team with Richards and such out there on the PK :D .
 

BobbyClarkeFan16

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neogeo69 said:
Downie's now the victim?

What Downie did to Aliu was definitely uncalled for and I'm not victimizing Steve Downie for that. He needed to be held accountable for his actions. However, the incident brought to light an underbelly of the organization that was simply disgusting. Downie was a victim of the organization by how poorly they ran things. I should have clarified that. The Windsor Spitfires organization was a cesspool under Moe Mantha.

I'm willing to bet that Downie also had to go through a hazing incident in Windsor when he was rookie. The fact that Mantha did nothing was reprehensible and abhorent. Management set no tone as to how the organization was going to be run and as a result, the players suffered.

I hope that clarifies things more when I referred to Downie being a victim of the organization.
 
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