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Enforcer Aaron Downey to get tryout with Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings of recent years have never been a team to go crazy with enforcers and turn the rink into a boxing ring. After all, the days of the Bruise Brothers are long gone. One player that in recent years got a short run with the Red Wings in that role was Aaron Downey. Downey was out of hockey completely last year but things may change for him now. Mlive.com’s Ansar Khan reports that Downey will be getting a tryout with the Red Wings this year.

Downey is expected to attend Detroit Red Wings training camp on a tryout. It’s not official yet, but should be confirmed in the next couple of days.

Downey, who turns 36 on Aug. 27, played in 56 games for the Red Wings in 2007-08, after earning a one-year contract following a training camp tryout. He had no goals and three assists and racked up 116 penalty minutes, providing some much-needed toughness by sticking up for teammates who were getting run at by opponents.

Downey comes from a long line of affable but tough enforcers. Even after parting ways with Detroit, Downey was very well liked by Red Wings teammates. Downey’s main role in hockey is to play the part of peacekeeper but keeping a steady job in the NHL has been tough for him. Through his nine NHL seasons, Downey has played in just 243 games and scored just 18 points while piling up 494 penalty minutes.

Honest assessment: It’ll be stunning if he lands a job with the Red Wings. If he does want to play and makes the grade well enough, the Wings will likely make room for him in Grand Rapids in the AHL if he wants to go there.