![]() Nothing good comes from those vids- Steve Downie December 24, 2016 That hit is what happens when you watch don cherry rock em sock em videos from age 5 to 18. ![]() That said, no one has ever gone after Don the way that Steve Downie did last night on Twitter: ![]() While Cherry’s undoubtedly popular, he’s also divisive - in recent years, there have been more and more rumblings about his place in the hockey hierarchy. Cherry has spent his broadcasting career lionizing enforcers, gritty players who triumph over their more skilled counterparts, and good Canadian boys that’ll do anything to help their team win. Don Cherry is important to hockey discourse, no matter how outdated some of his ideas may seem.Ĭherry also symbolizes a certain way of thinking about hockey (and about being Canadian, and being a man, and lots of other things that necessitate more attention from someone more qualified than myself). No other hockey personality finished higher than Grapes (Gretzky was 10th). Lest we forget, Cherry was once named the 7th greatest Canadian of all-time by his compatriots. That’s not an accident: for over 30 years, Cherry has shaped the way we think about the NHL. “I have no problem doing it.*Editor’s note: This column contains strong language.*įor many Canadians, Don Cherry is hockey. “It’s whatever the coach thinks helps the team the best that night,” he said. “Guys that play hard and stick up for teammates are going to get some penalties, but there’s some that are warranted and some that he can probably take out of his game.”ĭownie has skated a few times in training camp next to center Martin Hanzal and winger Max Domi and while lines haven’t been set in stone, it’s a trio that could combine muscle and skill for the Coyotes.īut a rover in the past, Downie is ready to slot in the lineup wherever the Coyotes need him. “There are some things there that we’ll have a good talk about before the start of the season, but he plays hard,” Tippett said. Last season, Downie led the league in penalty minutes with 238. Downie has tried to absorb as much as he can from these stars and strike a balance between being an agitator and contributing offensively. “He can play all over the lineup, and I think that versatility makes him a very valuable player,” Tippett said.Ĭonsidering he’s had stints with the Penguins, Avalanche and Lightning, the cast of characters Downie has been around is impressive – Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Nathan MacKinnon. His addition certainly injects more grit into the Coyotes’ forward group, but he also could be a sparkplug for offense. But I’m a huge fan of Steve’s, huge, huge fan.”Īside from sticking up for teammates, Downie provided the Penguins with 14 goals last season. People always find that hard to understand because it is physical and it’s intense when it happens. “In that situation and in most situations, what happens on the ice stays on the ice,” Doan said. The two duked it out in March while Downie was playing with the Penguins after Doan leveled a body check to Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang that sent Letang onto the ice and into the boards.Īt the time, Doan praised Downie as a “character guy” and said, “That's the type of guy you want on your team, that stands up for your teammates and goes to the wall for his teammates.” ![]() But there’s nothing but respect for him, and that’s just part of the game.” It’s the way he plays it’s the way I play. Yes, the same Downie who challenged Doan to a fight late last season is eager to play on the same team with him. “To get a chance to play with him, it’s going to be fun,” Downie said. Oh, and he’s also a fan of captain Shane Doan. It’d be fun to play with and watch the young talent in the mix. Downie is already familiar with a few of the players on the team like center Kyle Chipchura and goalie Mike Smith. Coach Dave Tippett has a respected reputation around the league. When he was deciding his next move during the offseason, winger Steve Downie came up with a host of reasons why signing with the Coyotes as a free agent made sense. ![]()
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