The incident stemmed from 16-year-old Aliu's refusal to take part in a hazing incident, where he would have been forced to stand naked in a cramped bus bathroom with other rookies.
#JASON DOWNIE PROFESSIONAL#
The team suspended Downie for five games and Aliu for one, and Downie was told to undergo professional counseling. was suspended by the OHL and later fired by the team, and the team was fined $35,000 by the OHL. Downie left the team, requesting a trade, and was eventually traded to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for Peter Aston. In 2020, Aliu would reflect on the incident in an opinion piece entitled "Hockey Is Not For Everyone". Aliu described other hazing incidents leading to the attack and stated he viewed them as being racially motivated, calling Downie a "racist sociopath" and further remarking "He looked at me and saw a black boy with a weird accent - and didn’t like me because of it. I was attacked because of the color of my skin." īrent Sutter named Downie to the Canadian junior team for the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Vancouver. He made a name for himself at the tournament, contributing to Canada's gold medal-winning effort by scoring two goals and four assists in six games while also being named to the all-tournament team. On May 30, 2006, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they had signed Downie to a three-year, entry-level contract. "It is unbelievable," said Downie in a Flyers press release. " was one of the goals that I had set at the beginning of the year and I am just very thankful for this chance.
I’m a gritty, physical player and I also am an offensive player as well." Īfter attending Flyers' training camp in the Fall and playing in several pre-season games, however, the club returned Downie to Peterborough. Downie returned to the international stage yet again in December 2006, participating in the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden. On January 5, 2007, Canada won the gold medal for the first time on European ice since 1997 with a 4–2 victory over Russia. Throughout the whole tournament, however, Downie was involved in OHL trade rumours. On January 8, 2007, Downie was indeed traded to the Kitchener Rangers in exchange for Yves Bastien, the Rangers' second-round picks in the 20 OHL Priority Selections, as well as the 2007 second-round pick of the Brampton Battalion.
#JASON DOWNIE FULL#
In his first full professional season in 2007–08, Downie's professional career got off to an inauspicious start during a pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators on September 25, 2007.
He was involved in an incident in which he checked unsuspecting left winger Dean McAmmond into the boards, while his feet were off the ice. To date, it is the fifth-longest suspension given by the League.ĭue to the extent of McAmmond's injury and having left his skates during the hit, Downie was suspended by the NHL for 20 games three days later for deliberate injury to McAmmond, as the NHL were cracking down on any play resulting in a head injury. One day after the NHL suspension was announced, the Flyers announced they had sent Downie down to the team's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms.
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