Arizona Coyotes: Former Winger Steve Downie Blasts Coyotes, Tippett
Former Arizona Coyotes forward Steve Downie apparently rediscovered his Twitter account prior to the holidays.
The Steve Downie experienced was short lived for the Arizona Coyotes.
The former 20 goal scorer and full-time pest played in just 26 games with the team last season.
He contributed 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points.
Downie found himself on the waiver wire in January.
At the time, we wrote about Downie’s plight that, “His love of mixing it up and goading opponents got him into penalty trouble on more than one occasion, hurting the team at times when his actual hockey abilities would have sufficed.”
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“Despite his reputation, Downie is actually a very serviceable veteran player, but seemed unwilling to pick his spots with his role as pest in order to maximize the return he could give to his team.”
The 29-year-old never learned to control himself and it appeared that head coach Dave Tippett was tired of it.
Whatever Tipp and Maloney’s reasoning might have been, Downie isn’t happy.
He broke a year long hiatus from Twitter to air his grievances with the Arizona Coyotes brass.
It began innocently enough, with a shout out to Yotes’ standout player Max Domi for fighting.
First shout out way max domi haha what a punch.
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
Then, things to a turn for the bizarre as he pivots into blasting Dave Tippett and Newell Brown for running a “classless” organization that is worse than a junior hockey team.
2nd shout out is to dave tippet and newel brown on running a great program down in AZ there's a reason there in last every year. #classless.
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
3rd peterborough Petes are better run then az coyotes
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
He also had thoughts on Domi getting injured fighting.
4th. I've never played on a team when my best player broke his hand in a fight. Hahah the game has changed. Or tippets an idiot
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
From there he shifted to the John Scott fiasco and conspiracy surrounding his jettison from Arizona last season.
Another classless move done by tippet. This really put over the edge last year and made me quit on az.
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
The way they treated big John Scott. I remember watching tippet laugh at big John working his ass off for the team.
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
Classless. John Scott is the best team mate I've seen in a long time
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
At the time, John Scott’s trade came under intense scrutiny from fans and media. Particularly after Scott’s piece was published in the Player’s Tribune on the subject.
Collin Campbell asked John Scott if his kids were going to be embarrassed that he's going to all star game. Whatajoke
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
John gets mad at Collin and tells him off then AZ trades him haha who's the puppet
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
Steve Downie also had some choice words for how Tipp handles his players.
My last game I played for the coyotes.. dave the man tippet didn't let me skate for 4 days not even a morning skate.
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
Then he randomly wants me in his line up .. Fucking classless
— Steve Downie (@stevedownie23) December 23, 2016
The outburst by Downie is pretty unprecedented among NHL circles.
There are outspoken former players on Twitter, and even a few outspoken AHL players like Paul Bissonnette, but I can’t recall seeing a player openly blast his former coach and organization in the same manner Steve Downie has the Arizona Coyotes.
Next: As The Season Slips Away, Coyotes In Need of Self-Reflection
It remains to be seen what stirred Downie up nearly a year after he played his last game in a Coyotes sweater, but something got him going.
Something tells me we probably haven’t heard the end of the tale just yet.