Karl Alzner
Born	(1988-09-24) September 24, 1988 (age 23) Burnaby, BC, CAN
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Washington Capitals
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	5th overall, 2007 Washington Capitals
Playing career	2008–present

Medal record
Competitor for Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold	2008 Czech Republic
Gold	2007 Sweden

Karl Alzner (born September 24, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Washington Capitals. He was drafted in the first round, 5th overall, by the Capitals in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. A standout in junior, Alzner won two World Junior Hockey Championship gold medals with team Canada (as the captain), and was named the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s top player and Canadian Hockey League (CHL)'s top defenceman in 2008.

Junior career[link]

Alzner played four Western Hockey League (WHL) seasons with the Calgary Hitmen as part of a standout junior career. He was a member of Canada's gold-medal winning team at the 2007 World Junior Hockey Championships as one of only two players who had not been selected in the NHL draft (the other being Sam Gagner). Shortly after returning to Calgary after the World Junior Championships, Alzner headed to Quebec City, Quebec to play in the 2007 Top Prospects Game. Alzner was joined by two other players from the Hitmen: Brett Sonne and Alex Plante. Alzner and Sonne played for the White team, while Plante joined the victorious Red team.

Alzner was an assistant captain in the 2007 Super Series against the Russian junior team, and was named captain of Team Canada for the 2008 World Junior Championships, both of which were won by Canada. Alzner was named the WHL Player of the Year and Defenceman of the Year for the 2007–08 WHL season.^[1] He was also named the top defenceman in the Canadian Hockey League.

Professional career[link]

Alzner was assigned to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL) to start 2008–09. He was called up to the Washington Capitals roster on November 26, 2008, making his NHL debut that night against the Atlanta Thrashers. He recorded his first NHL point (an assist) on December 4, 2008, against the New York Islanders. He recorded his first goal the next game on December 6, 2008, on Hockey Night in Canada against Vesa Toskala of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Alzner's reactions to this accomplishment were captured in an audio-journal he was keeping for the Hockey Diaries project. Alzner was sent back down to Hershey on January 28, 2009 to make room for returning defenceman Tom Poti. He was recalled during the Capitals' playoff series with the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 3 as a precautionary measure after injuries to several Washington defencemen, but did not see any action.

In his second season with the Capitals in 2009–10, he was called up to the NHL several times by the Capitals. He played on a defensive pairing with John Carlson in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

On July 15, 2011, Alzner signed a two-year contract with the Washington Capitals.^[2]

Career statistics[link]

International play[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Karl Alzner's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• hitmenhockey.com Bio
• Hockey Canada

Steve Downie
Downie with the Lightning in 2012.
Born	(1987-04-03) April 3, 1987 (age 25) Newmarket, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Colorado Avalanche Philadelphia Flyers Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	29th overall, 2005 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2007–present

Steve Downie (born April 3, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League.

Playing career[link]

Downie grew up in Holland Landing, Ontario, the younger son of John and Anne Downie. He has a brother, Greg. He attended Sacred Heart High School in Newmarket, playing hockey for the York-Simcoe Express AAA organization of the OMHA. He also attended St. Joseph's Catholic High School in Windsor, Ontario in 2004. Downie led his Express Bantam team to the All-Ontario AAA Championship in April 2002. He was drafted in the 1st round (16th overall) by the Windsor Spitfires in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection.

Downie was selected in the first round, 29th overall, in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. Not long after being drafted, Downie was suspended for five games early in the 2005–06 OHL season for an on-ice altercation with teammate Akim Aliu. During a practice on September 28, 2005, Downie blindly cross-checked Aliu in the face without warning, knocking out 3 of his teeth, and then proceeded to fight his younger teammate.^[1] 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. The team suspended Downie for five games and Aliu for one, and Downie was told to undergo professional counseling. Head coach Moe Mantha, Jr. was suspended by the OHL and later fired by the team, and the team was fined $35,000 by the OHL.^[2] Downie left the team, requesting a trade, and was eventually traded from the Windsor Spitfires, going to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for Peter Aston.^[3]

Brent Sutter named Downie to the Canadian World Junior Team for the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He made a name for himself in Vancouver where he was a contributor to Canada’s gold medal-winning effort, scoring two goals and four assists in six games and being named to the all-tournament team.^[4]

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. “[Signing with the Flyers] 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.”^[5]

After attending Flyers' training camp in the fall and playing in several pre-season games, the club returned Downie to Peterborough. Downie returned to the international stage yet again in December 2006. He participated at the 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Leksand and Mora, Sweden. On January 5, 2007, Team Canada won the gold medal for the first time on European ice since 1997, with a 4–2 defeat over Team Russia. Throughout the whole tournament, though, Downie was involved in trade rumors. On January 8, 2007, Downie was traded to Kitchener in exchange for Yves Bastien, the Rangers' second-round picks in the 2007 and 2008 OHL Priority Selections, as well as the 2007 second-round pick of the Brampton Battalion.^[6]

NHL[link]

Downie made his National Hockey League debut on December 5, 2007, against the Minnesota Wild. He scored his first NHL goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 5, 2008. During the game, Downie got into a scuffle with Leafs forward Jason Blake. While the linesmen were attempting to keep them apart, Downie got his left arm loose and sucker-punched Blake in the left eye while Blake's arms and hands were still tied up by the other linesman.^[7] During a game against the New York Rangers on February 9, 2008, Downie was hip-checked by Rangers defenseman Fedor Tyutin, and his skate hit linesman Pat Dapuzzo in the face. Dapuzzo required 60 stitches to reattach his nose, suffered 10 facial fractures and was forced to retire.

In game three of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 13, 2008, Downie hit Petr Sykora as the play ended on Ryan Malone's goal that gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead. Sykora did not have the puck when Downie hit him.^[8] On November 7, 2008, Downie was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Steve Eminger for defenceman Matt Carle.

Steve Downie with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010.

In March 2010, Downie was fined for a hit on Sidney Crosby. Downie stated that Colin Campbell, league disciplinarian, told him it was a "dangerous play".^[9] Downie finished his first full season with 46 points in 79 games. After a successful season he was selected to participate in the 2010 World Championships.^[10] On August 25, 2010, Downie re-signed with the Lightning on a two-year contract worth $3.7 million.^[11]

On February 21, 2012, Downie was traded to the Colorado Avalanche for defenceman Kyle Quincey, who was traded later that same day to the Detroit Red Wings.^[12]

Suspensions[link]

Downie has been suspended for several incidents, in addition to the Aliu incident mentioned above. During a September 25, 2007, preseason game against the Ottawa Senators, Downie was involved in an incident in which he checked unsuspecting left winger Dean McAmmond into the boards, while Downie's feet were off the ice.^[13] Due 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. To date, it is the fifth longest suspension given by the league.^[14] 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. Per AHL by-laws, Downie was considered automatically ineligible to play pending a review by the AHL (as the AHL honors NHL suspensions). AHL President David Andrews suspended Downie for the first month of the 2007-2008 AHL season as a result of the injuries to McAmmond.^[15]

On February 28, 2009, Downie, by this point playing for the Norfolk Admirals (the Lightning AHL affiliate), slashed a linesman in the shin following a controversial empty-net goal in a game against the Hershey Bears, receiving a game misconduct for physical abuse of an official. Under AHL rules, this penalty carries an automatic 20-game suspension, which would be Downie's second lengthy suspension.^[16]

Career statistics[link]

Regular season and playoffs[link]

Medal record
Competitor for  Canada
World Junior Championships
Gold	2007 Sweden
Gold	2006 Canada

International[link]

Personal[link]

• Downie's father, John Downie, died in a car accident in 1996 while driving Steve to a hockey practice.^[17]
• He is deaf in his right ear due to the hearing disorder otosclerosis and wears a hearing aid.^[17]
• On the road while playing for the Lightning, he shared rooms with linemate and friend Steven Stamkos.^[18]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Steve Downie's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Steve Downie's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Steve Downie at TSN.ca

Pierre McGuire
Born	(1961-08-08) August 8, 1961 (age 50) Englewood, New Jersey
Nationality	United States Canada
Occupation	Sportswriter, sports commentator
Spouse	Melanie
Children	Son, daughter
Parents	Rex and Sally McGuire

Pierre McGuire (born August 8, 1961), is an American/Canadian ice hockey analyst for National Hockey League broadcasts on NBC in the United States. Until 2011, he was a prominent hockey analyst on The Sports Network (TSN) in Canada. Previously, he was a player, coach, and scout.

Career[link]

McGuire won two Stanley Cups as a scout and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991 and 1992. He joined the Hartford Whalers on August 28, 1992 as an assistant coach and was later assistant general manager on September 8, 1993.^[1] On November 16, 1993 he was named head coach, replacing Paul Holmgren, who assumed the role as the team's GM. McGuire remained with the team for 67 games, leading the team to a 23-37-7 record in the 1993–94 NHL season.^[2] Holmgren replaced McGuire as head coach following that season.

From 1994 to 1996, McGuire worked as a pro scout and assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators.^[3] McGuire would return to coaching at the start of the 1996-97 ECHL season as the head coach of the Baton Rouge Kingfish, leading the team to a 7th place finish in the South Division, going 31-33-6. His contract was not renewed and McGuire returned to Montreal to start his career in broadcasting.

Broadcasting career[link]

From 1997–98 until 2001–02, McGuire served as colour commentator for the Montreal Canadiens English-language radio broadcasts on CJAD 800 with Dino Sisto.

When TSN re-acquired the Canadian national cable rights to NHL hockey in 2002, McGuire was hired as its lead hockey analyst. With TSN, McGuire called the games along with the play-by-play voice of Gord Miller or Chris Cuthbert. He also did special hockey events for TSN, including the NHL Entry Draft, and international events like the IIHF World Junior Championships. He also hosted a segment known as "McGuire's Monsters", where he covers a player with a significant impact through a combination of skills.

McGuire joined NBC Sports acquired the rights to NHL games in 2006. He usually works as an "Inside the Glass" reporter with the broadcast team of Mike Emrick and Ed Olczyk.

After the 2011 NHL Draft, McGuire left TSN to work full time for NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. He continues to appear on TSN Radio.^[4]

McGuire also writes for Sports Illustrated and provides frequent commentary on New York's WFAN, Toronto's Sportsnet 590, Ottawa radio station, the Team 1200, the Ottawa Senators fan podcast SensUnderground, and Montreal's TSN 990 where he can be heard on the Mitch Melnick show, the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver heard on the Canucks Lunch with Rick Ball,^[5] as well as Wednesday mornings on Calgary's Fan 960.

Stances on issues in hockey[link]

McGuire has been outspoken as an advocate of removing the red line and allowing skilled players to play a skilled game without clutching and grabbing impeding them. His views of hockey have him campaigning for all players to wear partial visors. McGuire's outspoken nature provided one of the more interesting stories during the 2004–05 NHL hockey lockout. After McGuire claimed that, if asked to vote privately, more than 70% of NHL players would accept an owner-imposed salary cap, NHL player Tie Domi countered that McGuire was completely off-base. McGuire later retracted part of his claim by saying he never should have given a percentage but that he still believed strongly that assertion was true.^[6] In the end, the players accepted a salary cap arrangement in the 2004 CBA.

Personal[link]

McGuire was born in Englewood, New Jersey, grew up in the Montreal area^[4][7], and has split his life and citizenship between the United States and Canada.^[8] He has in the past been a resident of Alpine, New Jersey^[9] and currently resides in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Coaching record[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• TSN profile
• Pierre McGuire's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Raffi Torres
Torres during his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Born	(1981-10-08) October 8, 1981 (age 30) Toronto, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	223 lb (101 kg; 15 st 13 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Phoenix Coyotes New York Islanders Edmonton Oilers Columbus Blue Jackets Buffalo Sabres Vancouver Canucks
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	5th overall, 2000 New York Islanders
Playing career	2001–present

Raphael "Raffi" Torres (born October 8, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the New York Islanders fifth overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He has additionally played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, and the Vancouver Canucks. Torres is known as a physical, forechecking forward with offensive capabilities.^[1][2] Torres received the third-longest suspension in the history of the NHL for his hit to the head of Marian Hossa in Game 3 of the 2012 Western Conference Quarterfinals.^[3]

Torres was drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he played three seasons with the Brampton Battalion. He was a two-time OHL Second Team All-Star during his junior career. Beginning in 2001–02, he turned professional with the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He spent the better part of two seasons in the AHL before the Islanders traded him to the Oilers in 2003. He played five seasons in Edmonton, becoming a full-time NHL player with the club. He recorded career numbers as an Oiler in 2005–06, while also helping them to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. In the 2008 off-season, he was dealt to the Blue Jackets, where he played the better part of two seasons. After a brief stint with the Sabres in 2009–10, he signed with the Canucks. After one year in Vancouver, he signed with his current team, the Phoenix Coyotes. Internationally, he represented Canada at the 2001 World Junior Championships, winning a bronze medal.

Playing career[link]

Brampton Battalion[link]

Torres played major junior with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), beginning in 1998–99. He scored at a point-per-game pace in his rookie season with 35 goals and 62 points, second in team-scoring to Jason Spezza.^[4] Improving to a team-leading 43 goals and 91 points in his second junior season,^[5] he finished seventh in league scoring and was named to the OHL Second All-Star Team.^[6][7] Qualifying for the playoffs, the Battalion were eliminated in the first round.^[8] Torres added seven points in the six-game series.

Going into the 2000 NHL Entry Draft as a top prospect, Torres was selected in the first round, fifth overall, by the New York Islanders. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau described him as a disciplined player with good forechecking and overall offensive skills.^[1] The Islanders had obtained the fifth overall pick used to acquire Torres from the Tampa Bay Lightning, in exchange for goaltender Kevin Weekes and defensive prospect Kristian Kudra.^[1]

At the time of the draft, Islanders general manager Mike Milbury told reporters Torres' chances of immediately joining the NHL was questionable.^[1] Following his first NHL training camp in New York, Torres was returned to Brampton in late-September.^[9] Playing his third and final OHL season, he recorded 33 goals and 70 points over 55 games in 2000–01 to be named to the league's Second All-Star Team once more.^[7] The Battalion advanced to the second round of the playoffs, where they were eliminated.^[8] Torres had 11 points in eight post-season contests.

New York Islanders[link]

Turning professional in 2001–02, Torres was assigned to the Islanders' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, following his second NHL training camp.^[7] Over the course of his professional rookie campaign, Torres was called up on four different occasions to the NHL.^[7] He received his first call-up to New York on November 24, 2001, making his NHL debut that night against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.^[10] Skating on the fourth line, he helped the Islanders to a 5–3 win.^[10] He notched his first point during a separate call-up on January 4, 2002, assisting on a goal by Mark Parrish during a 4–2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.^[11] It was his lone point with the Islanders over 15 NHL games that season.

Later that month, he was re-assigned to Bridgeport for the remainder of the campaign.^[7] He finished with 20 goals and 30 points over 55 games with the Sound Tigers. Torres became an integral part of Bridgeport's 2002 playoff run to the Calder Cup Finals, where the club lost in five games to the Chicago Wolves.^[12] Over 20 post-season games, Torres ranked third in team-scoring with eight goals and 17 points.^[13]

Torres began the 2002–03 season in Bridgeport for the second consecutive year. He received four call-ups to New York over the campaign,^[7] recording five assists over 17 games. At the NHL trade deadline, he was traded by the Islanders to the Edmonton Oilers, along with forward Brad Isbister, in exchange for defenceman Janne Niinimaa, as well as second-round and fourth-round selections in the 2003 draft.^[14]

Edmonton Oilers[link]

Torres with the Oilers in 2006.

Following the trade, the Oilers assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs,^[7] where he played the final 11 games of the regular season. Between Bridgeport and Hamilton, Torres notched 18 goals and 40 points over 60 games in his second AHL campaign. For the second consecutive year, he appeared in the Calder Cup Finals and lost. He struggled in his second AHL playoff run, managing six goals and an assist over 23 post-season games, as the Bulldogs were defeated in the Finals by the Houston Aeros in seven games.^[12] In the off-season, Torres was re-signed by the Oilers to a two-year contract on August 1, 2003.^[7]

He began the 2003–04 season in the NHL, earning a roster spot with the Oilers. He scored his first NHL goal on October 9, 2003, against goaltender Evgeni Nabokov during a game against the San Jose Sharks.^[15] During the campaign, Torres was chosen to represent the Western Conference at the 2004 NHL YoungStars Game.^[7] The following month, he missed two contests due to an ankle injury.^[7] He recovered to finish the season with 20 goals and 34 points over 80 games. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he played with the Edmonton Road Runners (the Oilers' new minor league affiliate) of the AHL and tied for the team-scoring lead with Tony Salmelainen, recording 46 points in 67 games.^[16]

With the NHL set to resume play for the 2005–06 season, Torres re-signed with the Oilers to a two-year deal on August 16, 2005.^[7] Returning to the Oilers, he scored a career-high 27 goals and 41 points. The Oilers entered the 2006 playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference.^[17] During the Western Conference Finals against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Torres missed games two and three due to the flu.^[7] Following his return the lineup, he scored the series-clinching goal in game five, a 2-1 win, to advance the Oilers into the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.^[18] Against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Oilers faced a 3–1 series deficit before forcing a game seven.^[19] They were defeated in the deciding contest to lose the Stanley Cup.^[19] Torres notched four goals and 11 points over 22 post-season games.

In 2006–07, Torres recorded 15 goals and 34 points. The Oilers did not, however, qualify for the playoffs.^[20] In the off-season, they re-signed him to a three-year, $6.75 million deal.^[2] The following season, he missed the last 49 games of the campaign to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.^[7] Limited to 32 contests, he recorded 11 points.

Post-Edmonton[link]

Torres was traded in the off-season to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Gilbert Brulé on July 1, 2008.^[21] He missed 10 games to begin the 2008–09 campaign with a separated right shoulder.^[7] A month later, on December 2, 2008, he underwent surgery for an injured knee and missed an additional 19 games.^[7] With an injury-shortened season for the second consecutive year, he recorded 12 goals and 20 points over 51 games. In the 2009 playoffs, Torres added two assists as Columbus was swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings.^[22]

The following season, on March 3, 2010, Torres was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenceman Nathan Paetsch and a second-round draft pick.^[23] He had recorded 19 goals and 31 points over 60 games with Columbus before the trade. In 14 games with Buffalo, he notched five assists. The Sabres entered the 2010 playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Bruins.^[24] Torres' play struggled against the Bruins and he was benched for the final two games of the series.^[25] He recorded two assists over four playoff games.

Leaving Buffalo as an unrestricted free agent, Torres signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on August 24, 2010.^[26] He scored his first goal as a Canuck on October 13, in a 4–3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.^[27] The following month, he registered his first NHL career hat trick on November 2 during a game against the Edmonton Oilers.^[28] It marked the first time in Oilers history that a former player scored a hat trick against the club.^[29] The hat trick also helped Torres earn First Star of the Week honours as the best player in the NHL for the week ending November 7, 2010.^[30] Beginning in January 2011, he underwent a 23-game goalless streak, snapped on February 19 in a game against the Dallas Stars.^[31]

Later in the season, Torres was suspended four games for a hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle during a game on April 6, 2011. Canucks general manager Mike Gillis told media that he "strongly disagree[d] with it", while Torres argued that he did not stick out his elbow or leave his feet to make the hit and that Eberle raised his hand in defence of the oncoming check, indicating that it was not a blindside hit. Eberle was not injured on the play.^[32] The suspension ended Torres' regular season as the Canucks had two games remaining. He finished with 14 goals and 29 points in 80 games. Returning for Game 3 of the opening playoff round against the Chicago Blackhawks, Torres received further scrutiny around the league for a hit on defenceman Brent Seabrook. With Seabrook receiving a pass behind the Blackhawks' net, Torres hit him in the head with his shoulder. Although he received a minor penalty on the play, Torres did not receive further suspension from the league.^[33] Later in the game, Torres hit Seabrook a second time taking the defenceman out of the next two games. Vancouver went on to win the series in seven games, before defeating the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks en route to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. In the opening game of the fourth round, Torres scored the game-winner against the Boston Bruins with 19 seconds remaining in regulation.^[34]

On July 1, 2011, Torres signed a two-year contract worth $3.5 million with the Phoenix Coyotes.^[35] He recorded his first goal nearly a month into the 2011–12 season, in a 3–2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars on October 25, 2011.^[36] Torres continued to build a reputation for targeting opponents' heads.^[37] He was fined $2,500 for striking Jan Hejda in the head with his forearm in a December 29, 2011, game against the Colorado Avalanche. Two nights later, he struck Minnesota's Nate Prosser in the head after jumping into a hit, earning a two-game suspension.^[38]