Steve Downie

Via digidigidigi who says Steve Downie is the best thing to happen to Philadelphia since cheesesteaks, comes this video.  Ouch.

Comments

[Mike]

DAMN

[Martin]

This just in...

Scottie (doesn't know) Upshall and Jeoffrey (the giraffe) Lupul BOTH are living in Old(with an e) City...

oh... and they have broken wrists and will be out for extended amounts of time.

[ryan]

Yeah, well the hit may be fun to watch but it was a cheap shot and shouldn't really be celebrated by anyone. McAmmond had to leave the game on a stretcher and Downie has already been suspended indefinitely (http://www.640toronto.com/news/toronto_sports.cfm?cat=7428109912&rem=75549&red=80110923aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=toronto_sports.cfm) by the NHL. The Flyers better be watching their backs the next time they play the Sens.

[Clarke]

waaaa...

I smell Senator troll.

[ryan]

nope, I'm actually a regular commenter here and flyers fan, but there's no excuse for play like that, especially in the preseason.

[enrico]

I actually tend to agree with Ryan. That hit was a little uncalled for in a preseason game.

[Mick O]

Yeah, don't you know when a guy's head is down you're not allowed to check him? "It was clear the player was not looking at him coming."

How in the world is this a cheap shot? What is Downie supposed to do here when approaching someone who has the puck? Pull up? Warn him in advance? Consult the Top 10 Ways To Lose A Job In Preseason for other ways to avoid contact?

The worst part is the Ottawa announcers 1) complained that Downie led with the shoulder. As if that's a bad thing.. I guess they prefer leading with the elbow. 2) Claiming that Mcammond was in a "prone position" when hit. What??? That's just ludicrous.

What was Downie supposed to do here?

[Martin]

I just don't get it. I keep watching the hit and I don't see what everyone else is seeing. Okay, charging... fine... call him with a charge. He also left his feet, which is also questionable, because much of his height comes from the sheer force of the blow. Fine... left his feet.

But how is this any different from the Darcy Tucker hit on Sami Kapanen in the Leafs vs. Flyers playoff game, the one Roenick won. Tucker skated from the left circle clear across the ice to deliver that blow. No penalty called on that one.

How about Kasparitis hitting Lindros at the blue line with his elbow... basically starting the long line of Eric Lindros concussions and then high fiving his team-mates on the bench.

How about Scott Stevens laying out Eric Lindros with a blow to the head. One of the most celebrated d-men in the game laying out Ron Francis or Paul Kariya in the same playoff?

This was not a hit from behind into the boards, the kind Downie was given just moments before that hit. If McCammond gets up... is this the big deal that you're making it out to be...?

And the fact you're saying this hit is meanignless because its a pre-season game...? He's trying desperately to make the Flyers by finishing his checks. He scores goals, he fights and he hits the daylights out of people. He has no lo-gear... he plays like every game is the Stanley Cup Finals...

He's young... 20 to be exact. And the fact that all these morons around the league (McGratton, Belak, Blake) are hypocritcal enough to criticize this kid and ask for him to be banned from the league for good is even imagineable boggles my mind.

Dirty hit... suspend him... but at the same time... everybody breathe.

This is the N. H. L.

[Kulp]

This is very obviously a dirty hit. I don't think we should underscore the seriousness of something like this by pointing out the dirty play on the other end of the ice or by looking back as past incidents. I'm not saying he needs a lifetime ban or anything like that, but it's clearly dirty.

You can't "leave your feet" to hit somebody in the NHL, and the end result in the video should make that pretty clear to everyone. You can defend the kid all you want, but this was most certainly a cheap shot.

[theKrisheim]

someone call the NHL, we've located the 5 people who still care about hockey.

jk...

[gootman]

A bit dirty, but a great hit. He could've got the same thing accomplished with a hip check instead of leaving his feet and nailing him with his shoulder. If this was the playoffs instead of the preseason this would not have as bad a reaction.

[Walklett]

I can't disagree more that it was a dirty hit. Downie left his feet after he hit him. If he didn't he would have drilled him into the boards. It took most of the force out of the check. And I don't want to hear this preseason horse shit. An all-star game I can understand, but as it was mentioned above, these guys are trying to make the team.

[Dungheap]

It may have been a penalty, but it wasn't a cheap shot. The guy that got drilled was too busy admiring his pass to realize he was about to get hit by a locomotive. Not Downie's fault.

That the NHL has suspended him indefinitely is insane. The pussification of the league continues unabated.

[Mike]

The only good Ottawa Senator is an injured Ottawa Senator...

Nice job Downie!!!

[gootman]

20 games is a bit rough, thats a 1/4 of the season, it wasn't that dirty of a hit, 5 games would've seemed right to me.