Aaron Downey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aaron Downey |
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Downey with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008
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| Born | August 27, 1974 Shelburne, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | St. Louis Blues Dallas Stars Chicago Blackhawks Montreal Canadiens Boston Bruins Detroit Red Wings Phoenix Coyotes |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1996–2009 | ||
Aaron Douglas Downey, born on August 27, 1974, is a Canadian who used to play professional ice hockey. He also became a coach. Aaron played for 13 years in professional hockey. He played 243 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and Detroit Red Wings.
Aaron was not chosen by any NHL team in the draft. He was mostly known for being an enforcer. An enforcer is a player who protects their teammates and sometimes gets into fights on the ice. Aaron also played for many teams in the minor leagues.
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Aaron Downey's Hockey Journey
Aaron Downey grew up in Honeywood, Ontario, and started playing hockey there. In 1990-91, he played for the Grand Valley Harvesters Jr. C. team. He also wrestled in high school. In 1991-92, Aaron moved up to play for the Collingwood Blues.
Starting in Junior Hockey
In 1992-93, Aaron joined the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was a free agent, meaning no team had drafted him. He was cut from the team in 1993-94. After that, he played two seasons with the Halifax Lions. Then, he signed with the ECHL Hampton Roads Admirals.
Being an Enforcer
Aaron Downey was well-known for his role as an enforcer. This meant he was ready to stand up for his teammates. One time, on February 11, 2003, he famously knocked down Carolina Hurricanes player Jesse Boulerice with one punch. This incident made him very famous in the hockey world.
Another memorable moment was on April 16, 2006. He faced Ottawa Senator Brad Norton. They stood ready to fight for 40 seconds but never threw a punch. They were both sent to the penalty box without any contact. This unusual "non-fight" became popular on YouTube.
Playing for the Red Wings
In 2007, Aaron was invited to try out for the Detroit Red Wings. He was offered a two-way contract, which means he could play for either the NHL team or their minor league team. He joined the Red Wings for the 2007–08 NHL season. He quickly showed his toughness. He had a big fight with Kyle McLaren of the San Jose Sharks. A week later, he fought Rob Davison from the Sharks.
Aaron brought a lot of toughness to the Red Wings. Before he joined, the Red Wings had very few fights. Aaron was praised by his coach, Mike Babcock. He was known for protecting his teammates and having a good attitude. One of his most famous fights was against Colorado Avalanche player Ian Laperrière. Laperrière had hit Red Wings star Nicklas Lidstrom earlier in the game.
Winning the Stanley Cup
In the 2007–08 NHL season, Aaron Downey won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings. Even though he did not play in any playoff games, he played enough regular-season games (41) to have his name engraved on the Cup. This is a huge honor for any hockey player.
Later Career Years
Aaron spent most of the 2008–09 NHL season playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins. This team is Detroit's minor league affiliate. He played 65 games for the Griffins. He scored 2 goals and had 7 assists. He also had 126 penalty minutes and 9 fights.
Aaron also played four games for the Red Wings in 2008-09. In those games, he scored 1 goal and had 1 assist. He also had one memorable fight against St. Louis Blues player Cam Janssen. Many hockey fans thought it was one of the best fights of the season. After the Griffins were eliminated from their playoffs, Aaron was called up to the Red Wings for their playoff run. However, he did not play in any games. On August 21, 2009, Aaron signed with the Phoenix Coyotes. He was released from his tryout with them on September 20, 2009.
Life After Playing Hockey
In October 2010, Aaron Downey returned to the Red Wings. He became a part-time strength and conditioning coach. This means he helped players get stronger and fitter.
On January 24, 2012, Aaron was honored. He was elected into the Hampton Roads/Norfolk Admirals Hall of Fame. This was a special recognition for his time playing for those teams.
Aaron Downey's Family and Charity Work
Aaron has a younger brother named Trevor. Trevor plays hockey in a Senior League in Ontario. Aaron's oldest brother, Paul, manages their family farm. Aaron is also known for helping his community. He supports various charities. He is involved with the House 9 Foundation for children. He also helps raise money for leukemia research. This cause is very important to him because his family was affected by it.
Career Statistics
Here are Aaron Downey's career statistics for his time in professional hockey.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1991–92 | Collingwood Blues | CJBHL | 41 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Guelph Storm | OHL | 53 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 88 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1995–96 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 65 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 354 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Hampton Roads Admirals | ECHL | 64 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 338 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 26 | ||
| 1996–97 | Manitoba Moose | IHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 78 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 407 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 75 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 401 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 46 | ||
| 1999–00 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 47 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 221 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 24 | ||
| 1999–00 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 67 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 234 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2001–02 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 43 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 37 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005-06 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 25 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006-07 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||
| 2007–08 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 56 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 116 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 65 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 126 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 44 | ||
| 2008–09 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 362 | 29 | 50 | 79 | 1459 | 53 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 130 | ||||
| NHL totals | 243 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 494 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
