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Post by Zipper14 on Mar 2, 2009 18:16:23 GMT -5
Puck Daddy mentioned this and linked to this game summary of a game on Friday. www.hersheypa.com/events/hershey_bears/detail.php?id=2742"With the BEARS leading 5-4, Chris Bourque was tackled from behind as he tried to shoot into the empty net, and was credited with his 15th goal at 19:46 although the puck never entered the net. HERSHEY took a 6-4 lead on the goal and essentially clinched the victory. Norfolk forward Steve Downie then returned to center ice for the face-off and slashed linesman Mike Hamilton across the right shin. Referee Jeff Smith assessed a game misconduct on Downie for physical abuse of officials under ruler 41.2 category one. The ruling calls for an automatic 20-game suspension. Norfolk has just 21 games remaining." I'm guessing there's no video of this incident. How have I not heard this story yet? Another 20 game suspension for Steve Downie?!? Wow, his career might not recover from that. Maybe he needs to go through the rehab course Avery went though. If there was only a vocal Lightening fan on these boards, I bet he would know something about this incident.
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Mar 2, 2009 22:18:15 GMT -5
I wish I had more info than that about Zipper but I don't....and I have not come across anybody who does yet either. Its definitely a strange situation, one that seems to have been blown out of proportion by the rival teams writers. I just doubt its as bad as hes making it out to be. According to Downie's GM:
Obviously once the AHL hands down its ruling we'll know for sure how bad it was.
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Post by Zipper14 on Mar 2, 2009 23:05:10 GMT -5
Ahhh, sounds pretty blown out of proportion. If there's no video I guess the linesman will have to make the final judgment on this one.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Mar 3, 2009 1:29:31 GMT -5
there's video of every game, for sure. many ahl games are professionally taped for rebroadcast, and those that aren't are definitely taped for coaches to review later.
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Post by fukufuji on Mar 5, 2009 9:14:27 GMT -5
Yeah most of these things are hyped way overboard. Especilly when its someone like Downie. Buy Downie has a deserving rap for ass-faceness.
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Post by fukufuji on Mar 5, 2009 11:59:49 GMT -5
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Post by Zipper14 on Mar 5, 2009 14:07:16 GMT -5
20 games is the minimum for abuse of official. I guess you can't just abuse an official a little bit. I wish I could see a video of it. But I'm guessing Downie's career is in jeopardy now.
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Post by kingsfan24 on Mar 5, 2009 15:14:36 GMT -5
Don't know about you guys but people play out Avery as this big jackass but imo Downie is the bigger one and it's really a shame that this will go under the radar. People want Avery's head for disrespectful comments but not once has he committed to violence or endangered people w/ his recklessness...
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Post by fukufuji on Mar 5, 2009 15:30:30 GMT -5
Yeah Avery is known more for his disrespectful head games but he can get questionable out these too. Downie is down right dangerous. We will be seeing more Mcsorley/Simon like incedents if he continues
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Mar 5, 2009 21:01:39 GMT -5
The Lightning and the Admirals are both appealing the decision. Until I see video of the clip, the whole thing sounds like crap to me. 20 games for accidentally hitting an officials skate with your stick? Get out of here.
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Mar 7, 2009 2:14:26 GMT -5
heres the clip...in all its glory. Man, that Downie...what a lunatic this guy is eh? Downie slash20 games for that?!! Its just absolutely ridiculous. The AHL is a joke.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Mar 7, 2009 3:36:35 GMT -5
whether aiming at the linesman or not, downie used his stick in a non-hockey move, a dangerous non-hockey move. the line needs to be drawn somewhere, and that's as clear as it gets. hitting a guy a little too hard or catching someone with a high stick... that's one thing. those are hockey moves taken too far. but there's just no situation in the sport where you would chop your stick like that, and definitely not on a faceoff.
20 games might be a bit harsh, but this is a ridiculous play. the guy really needs to learn.
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Post by Zipper14 on Mar 7, 2009 13:14:31 GMT -5
Yea, I'm not sure what he was trying to do there. Maybe just take his anger out on the puck when he won the draw. Either way, he swung his stick crazily and hit a linesman, it's unfortunate but it is what it is.
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Mar 7, 2009 14:25:12 GMT -5
I'm guessing I just don't see what was so crazy about the way he swung his stick. Sure, a bit odd but nothing that looked like malicious intent to harm anyone.
If you're going to suspend players 20 games for something like that, then anytime an official is bumped or ran into accidentally during play should carry the same consequences.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Mar 7, 2009 15:25:39 GMT -5
i think he deserved a suspension even if he didn't hit the linesman. to me, this looks like a two-handed stick swing (albeit a chop) against an opponent (albeit against a stick, not a body). It looks like he's intentionally trying to break the stick of the guy opposite him.
there probably wasn't intent to physically harm anyone, and 20 games may have been extreme. but still.
i guess this kind of brings up the whole debate about penalizing a reputation. personally, i think repeat offenders like this should be penalized more strictly than other players. it seems clear that's what's happening here... everybody knows downie is a loose cannon, so they're going to jump at an opportunity to punish him.
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Post by The Hockey Hitman on Mar 7, 2009 19:04:02 GMT -5
Even in our court systems, there is a stature of limitations. This should also apply in sports, just because a player has caused problems in the past shouldn't automatically make him guilty or have more severe suspension or fine than say, if Pavel Datsyuk or Andrei Markov did it, for example.
But since it is the AHL, a joke of a league anyways, and it is Downie, they want to pretend they have some higher authority and throw some weight around...its for the birds.
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Post by Zipper14 on Mar 8, 2009 13:50:09 GMT -5
i think he deserved a suspension even if he didn't hit the linesman. to me, this looks like a two-handed stick swing (albeit a chop) against an opponent (albeit against a stick, not a body). It looks like he's intentionally trying to break the stick of the guy opposite him. there probably wasn't intent to physically harm anyone, and 20 games may have been extreme. but still. i guess this kind of brings up the whole debate about penalizing a reputation. personally, i think repeat offenders like this should be penalized more strictly than other players. it seems clear that's what's happening here... everybody knows downie is a loose cannon, so they're going to jump at an opportunity to punish him. Well the rule clearly states that is is a minimum 20 game suspension if the player intentionally makes contact with an official. IMO it is not clear that Downie intentionally made contact with an official, so now I do think the suspension is unfair. If the league wanted to, they could have suspended him 5 games or so for swinging his stick like an idiot. The AHL's VP is hockey relations said "the video of the incident was ‘clear cut' and that he had no doubt Downie acted deliberately," which shows that the AHL is on crack. I guess the league just hates Steve Downie.
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Post by Zoom Waffles on Mar 8, 2009 23:36:27 GMT -5
Downie was deliberately trying to harm either the player or his stick. There's no way a player would ever deliberately harm an official unless it's in the heat of the moment, you know? I can see maybe punching a ref when he's holding you back in a fight or something. But nobody is dumb enough to just blatantly take a swing at a ref after a stoppage in play. That's a career-ruining move.
In other news, why so harsh on the AHL, Hitman? I think it's a terrific league for what it is... by far the best AAA league in north american sports.
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