History
Steve Downie was Windsor’s first round pick in the 2003 OHL draft and he had a successful rookie season with them, picking up 16 points in 48 games while tacking on 90 minutes in penalties. He played for Team Ontario at the U-17 championships and won a gold medal. Downie had a great second season with the Spitfires increasing his totals to 21 goals and 52 assists for 73 points in 61 games and had 179 penalty minutes as well.
Downie was the main catalyst in helping the Spitfires come back from being down three games to none in the first round of the playoffs against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and led them to win four in a row. Windsor would then go on to be swept by London and although Downie played a very physical role in the two games on home ice, but was virtually invisible in London. His performance against the Greyhounds was also better while the series venue was in Windsor.
2005-06: Downie made major headlines earlier this season, when he was suspended for five games by the Windsor Spitfires after a pair of altercations with teammate Akim Aliu during practice. Downie essentially refused to accept the penalty and sat on the sidelines for two months before eventually being traded to the Peterborough Petes.
To say he has been a major success with his new team would be a drastic understatement, as he has helped make the Petes one of the top contenders for the Memorial Cup, tallying 50 points (16 goals, 34 assists) and 109 PIMs in 35 games with the team.
His overall performance with the Petes aside, Downie’s main coming out party this year was at the WJC tournament, where he was a force en route to helping Canada capture its second straight gold medal. The Scarborough, ON native notched six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in six games, and saw his stock continue to skyrocket as he was named to the All-Tournament team.
2006-07: Downie turned in another dominating performance during his fourth and final season of play at the major junior level. He finished the regular season ranked 14th in the OHL with 92 points (35 goals, 57 assists) and 124 PIMs, despite playing in just 42 contests, due to suspensions and time away with the Canadian national junior team.
After opening beginning the campaign with the Peterborough Petes (for whom he was named captain), Downie was the centerpiece of a midseason trade that saw him land with the Kitchener Rangers, a perennial OHL title contender. He responded by averaging nearly two points per game down the stretch, notching 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 17 contests with his new team.
Downie was a catalyst in helping to lead Canada to another gold medal at the World Junior Championships (his second). He played a solid two-way game and exhibited great leadership abilities, while also tallying five points (one goal, four assists) and 16 PIMs in six total games.
Al Alven contributed to this profile Talent Analysis Scout #1: You win with kids like this. He took a team as a 17-year-old and was the force that made all the rest of the kids on that Windsor team honest. He’s got good skills and sees the ice well. He was Windsor’s best player as a 17-year-old! He shouldn’t be from Ontario; this kid is a Western boy, he’s all heart and soul. He should be in the WHL. You get the odd guy like this out here but he plays so hard he should be in the ‘Dub. He’s so strong on his skates and he’s so determined. I don’t know where he’s going to go in the draft, but someone will step up to take him and they’ll get a character player as soon as he puts their jersey on.
Scout #2: One of the grittiest, nastiest players in the league. He’s a bit of a rat, he’ll do anything to win, he competes game in and game out and he has talent. And he’s skilled. He’s not a tall guy but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to overcome his lack of size.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/steve_downie
And From Dobbers
A highly talented, hard-nosed winger, Downie is looking at a roster spot in 2007-08. Only a weak camp can take that
from him. That won’t happen, because the guy is as clutch as there is. In nine postseason contests for Kitchener of the
OHL, Downie posted 22 points. He is an in-your-face player that is too small to be a power forward, but certainly plays
like one. As a result, his offensive potential may take a few years for him to reach – generally the guys that play a power
game are slower in producing offense at the pro level. So while Downie should be a member of the Flyers this year, it
may be three or four years before you start seeing 60 or 70 points. He will be an NHLer, though. Of that there is no
question.
Potential: (35-50-75, 140+PIM)
NOTE: This was written about Downie just before training camp.
vCash:
0
Points: 24
Steve Downie 
Linear Mode
