Jacob Charles Dowell (born March 4, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.

Jake Dowell
Dowell with the Houston Aeros in February 2013
Born (1985-03-04) March 4, 1985 (age 39)
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position Center
Shot Left
Played for Chicago Blackhawks
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
EHC Black Wings Linz
NHL draft 140th overall, 2004
Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career 2006–2018

Playing career

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Dowell grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and played for Memorial High School in Eau Claire for two seasons, totaling 90 points. In both seasons, Dowell helped lead the Old Abes to sectional championships and state tournament berths.

Dowell left Memorial High School to be a part of the USA Hockey U-18 Developmental Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the year 2001. Later, Dowell returned to Wisconsin to play college hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers where he won a National Championship. Dowell was selected in the fifth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Dowell signed an entry-level contract with Chicago in July 2007. On November 23, 2007, Dowell scored a short-handed goal in his first NHL game, a 2–1 win over the Calgary Flames.[1] Dowell broke his foot the next game, but recovered from the injury to play 17 more games in the 2007–08 season.

Dowell was only called up to play in one contest in the 2008–09 season. He was on the Blackhawks active roster as a black ace against Vancouver and Detroit in the playoffs, but he did not play.

During the 2009–10 season, Dowell played three games for the Hawks with a goal and an assist for two points along with 78 games for the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL with seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points.[2][3] After the Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in six games in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, Dowell received a ring from the Blackhawks but his name was not included on the Cup due to not playing any playoff games and only playing three games in the regular season and none in the playoffs.

Dowell finished the 2010–11 season, his first full season at the NHL level with six goals, 15 assists and 21 points in 79 games played regularly playing on the third and fourth lines and occasional time on the teams penalty killing units. The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks narrowly qualified for the playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference and Dowell made his Stanley Cup playoff debut on April 13, 2011, in game 1 of the first round against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks where the Blackhawks lost with a score of 2–0.[4] The Blackhawks would eventually fall to the Canucks in seven games and Dowell finished the playoffs with no points in two games.[5] After the Blackhawks elimination from the playoffs, there were speculations that Dowell had been playing with a broken ankle suffered on February 1, 2011, in a 7–4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.[6][7]

On July 1, 2011, the Dallas Stars announced that the club had agreed to terms with center Dowell on a one-year contract worth $800,000. During the 2011–12 season, Dowell played in 52 games contributing with two goals and five assists for seven points.

On July 4, 2012, Dowell signed a two-year free agent contract with the Minnesota Wild.[8] Over the duration of his contract with the Wild, Dowell amassed just three games (two games in the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season and one game in the 2013–14 season, whilst primarily playing with AHL affiliates, the Houston Aeros and the Iowa Wild.

On July 28, 2014, Dowell signed a one-year free agent contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League.[9]

On August 31, 2015, Dowell signed a professional tryout contract in returning to attend the Rockford IceHogs training camp for the 2015–16 season.[10] After five games with the IceHogs on October 22, 2015, Dowell was signed to an AHL contract to continue in Rockford for the remainder of the season.[11]

After captaining the IceHogs in the 2016–17 season, and posting 15 points in 66 games, Dowell as a free agent opted to sign his first contact abroad in agreeing to a one-year deal with Austrian club, EHC Black Wings Linz of the EBEL, on May 12, 2017.[12]

Personal life

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Dowell and his family have worked to raise awareness and find a cure for Huntington's disease, a disease which has afflicted his brother and his father, whom he lost to the disease in February 2014 and August 2018, respectively.[13] The Dowells host fundraisers to battle the disease.[14] Dowell himself has tested negative for Huntington's in December 2015.[15] For his work to cure Huntington's while still committing to playing hockey, Dowell was awarded the Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award during the 2013–14 season.[16]

Dowell is married to his wife, Carly, together they have one daughter and one son.[15]

 
Dowell (right) and Troy Brouwer with the Chicago Blackhawks in February 2011

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2000–01 Memorial High School HSWI 24 25 30 55
2001–02 US NTDP U17 USDP 11 5 1 6 14
2001–02 US NTDP U18 NAHL 44 5 12 17 51
2002–03 US NTDP U18 NAHL 9 2 2 4 13
2002–03 US NTDP U18 USDP 54 8 17 25 54
2003–04 University of Wisconsin WCHA 37 6 13 19 48
2004–05 University of Wisconsin WCHA 38 12 14 26 74
2005–06 University of Wisconsin WCHA 43 5 15 20 42
2006–07 University of Wisconsin WCHA 41 19 6 25 54
2006–07 Norfolk Admirals AHL 9 2 3 5 8 6 0 3 3 4
2007–08 Rockford IceHogs AHL 49 7 10 17 64 12 1 1 2 6
2007–08 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 19 2 1 3 10
2008–09 Rockford IceHogs AHL 75 6 14 20 128 4 0 0 0 0
2008–09 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 1 0 0 0 2
2009–10 Rockford IceHogs AHL 78 7 16 23 96 4 0 0 0 0
2009–10 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 3 1 1 2 5
2010–11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 79 6 15 21 63 2 0 0 0 0
2011–12 Dallas Stars NHL 52 2 5 7 53
2012–13 Houston Aeros AHL 37 4 5 9 34 4 0 1 1 4
2012–13 Minnesota Wild NHL 2 0 0 0 0
2013–14 Iowa Wild AHL 57 7 12 19 56
2013–14 Minnesota Wild NHL 1 0 0 0 0
2014–15 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 76 5 10 15 75
2015–16 Rockford IceHogs AHL 72 11 24 35 99 3 0 2 2 4
2016–17 Rockford IceHogs AHL 66 4 11 15 101
2017–18 EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz EBEL 22 4 5 9 31
NHL totals 157 11 22 33 133 2 0 0 0 0

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2002 United States U17   6 2 1 3 2
2003 United States WJC18 4th 6 0 1 1 10
2004 United States WJC   6 0 2 2 2
2005 United States WJC 4th 7 0 3 3 12
Junior totals 25 2 7 9 26

Awards and honors

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Award Year
College
WCHA All-Tournament Team 2007 [17]
AHL
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award 2014 [16]

References

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  1. ^ "Jake Dowell Scores 1st NHL Goal Thursday in Calgary". weau.com. November 22, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  2. ^ "Kane's late goal guarantees Wild 0-8 road start". ESPN.com. ESPN. Associated Press. October 27, 2009. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  3. ^ "Blackhawks clip Jackets in shootout to cap prebreak surge". ESPN. ESPN. Associated Press. February 14, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2023.[dead link]
  4. ^ "Roberto Luongo (32 saves), Canucks blank Blackhawks in opener". ESPN. ESPN. April 14, 2011. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Alex Burrows' OT goal lifts Canucks past defending Cup champ Hawks in Game 7". ESPN. ESPN. Associated Press. April 27, 2011. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Jon Fromi (May 15, 2011). "Chicago Blackhawks: The Case for Retaining Jake Dowell". bleacherreport.com. The Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Eric Lindqist (June 11, 2011). "Dowell's heart guides his actions". leadertelegram.com. Leader Telegram. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  8. ^ "Wild agrees to terms with Jake Dowell". Minnesota Wild. July 4, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  9. ^ "Bulldogs sign Jake Dowell to one-year contract". Hamilton Bulldogs. July 28, 2014. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  10. ^ "Former IceHogs captain returns to Rockford on PTO". Rockford IceHogs. August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  11. ^ "IceHogs sign Dowell, recall DeSousa". Rockford IceHogs. October 22, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  12. ^ "A leader for the Black Wings" (in German). EHC Black Wings Linz. May 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  13. ^ Campbell, Ken (December 14, 2015). "JAKE DOWELL'S HAPPINESS TEMPERED BY SOBERING REALITY". thehockeynews.com. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  14. ^ "Jake Dowell: I'm negative for Huntington's". Leader-Telegram. December 13, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Kuc, Chris (December 25, 2015). "Clean bill of health a relief to former Blackhawk Jake Dowell, family". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  16. ^ a b "DOWELL NAMED WINNER OF FRED T. HUNT AWARD". theahl.com. April 11, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  17. ^ "WCHA Tourney History". WCHA. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
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