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So who does Steve Downie listen to these days?
On one shoulder, the hot-headed forward has Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren saying Downie's sucker punch of Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs was not only wrong, but selfish.
"My conversation with Steve was a little harsher than [NHL vice-president] Colin Campbell's," said Holmgren, who chastised Downie for not being a team player.
On the other shoulder, Downie has Flyers senior vice-president Bob Clarke saying he loved Downie's cheap shot — thought it was great.
"When he went after Blake, I loved it," Clarke told TSN yesterday.
Not only that, the former captain of the notorious Broad Street Bullies said Campbell went over the line when he suspended Downie 20 games for the preseason hit that injured Dean McAmmond of the Ottawa Senators.
"My personal feeling is Colin Campbell overreacted," Clarke said. "The hit Downie threw on McAmmond was not a whole lot different than the hits we all admired, including myself, that Scott Stevens used to do on open ice. He hit lots of people and we said it was great.
"What Downie did was, it looked like Colin Campbell took it personally, 'I told these players they couldn't do that and he did, so I'm going to get him.'
"To suspend [Downie] for 20 games is ridiculous," Clarke added.
"McAmmond was a veteran player who was skating and watching his pass and got nailed. Sorry for it, too bad he got hurt, but it was his own fault as much as it was Downie's."
Downie got into trouble last Saturday when he and Blake began jostling behind the Philadelphia net. While Blake had both of his arms held by a linesman, Downie sucker-punched the Maple Leafs' forward in the face, leaving him with a shiner under his left eye.
Downie was given a double minor penalty, but no suspension, for his action. Campbell spoke to Downie and warned him about his on-ice conduct.
Clarke, one of the game's most notorious agitators in his day, said he enjoyed seeing Downie going after Blake to settle an old score. "Blake was a guy who had no problem going out and saying [Downie] should be suspended for life or suspended for the year," Clarke insisted. "When you say something that stupid, why shouldn't this kid go after him for it?
"The kid did what every hockey player should do. If a player like Blake, who's been around as long as he has, wants to criticize a player, then he has to go on the ice with him and suffer the consequences."
After the Leafs' morning skate yesterday in Anaheim, Blake said he brushed aside Clarke's comments and repeated what he said about Downie a day earlier.
"I don't care who it is, but in the overall picture, there's no place for [those hits]," he said. "You don't want injuries that will keep you out for the whole season. I'm just thankful there was no structural damage."
Leafs head coach Paul Maurice put Clarke's comments down to sticking up for one of his players.
"That's what it's all about," Maurice said. "Whether you're a player or in the office, you take care of your own.''
Downie, who has fast gained a reputation for being a dirty player, is only in his first season in the NHL. Even Don Cherry, an open advocate of fighting in hockey, has scratched his head over Downie's antics.
"Why would Downie want to do this?" Cherry said on Coach's Corner. "This is unbelievable … backstabber deluxe."
While Clarke's comments may be aimed at taking some of the attention away from Downie, they also send the 20-year-old former world junior champion a mixed message. Does he play hard within the rules or does he consider Clarke's remarks as an endorsement to do whatever is necessary on the ice?
Holmgren said he made his points clear.
"[Downie] is part of a team and he needs to think in those terms and not think selfishly," Holmgren said. "I'm upset. It's Jason Blake. He's not a fighter. [Downie] can't afford to be doing that."
The Flyers have been involved in several incidents this season and have had players suspended for a total of 52 games, the largest total in the NHL.
With a report from David Shoalts
