Dowell Thankful for NHL Debut
November 23, 2007 | Men's Hockey
If anyone had something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving, it was former Badger forward and assistant captain Jake Dowell (Eau Claire, Wis.). Dowell skated in his first NHL game on Thanksgiving night for the Chicago Blackhawks, becoming the 60th former Badger to reach the highest level of hockey.
Dowell, who led the Badgers with 19 goals during the 2006-07 season, earned a call-up to the Chicago Blackhawks earlier in the week after posting five goals and 14 points in 17 games with the AHL's Rockford IceHogs this season.
Dowell has already made a contribution to the up-and-coming Hawks, scoring in his first game in the NHL. Dowell gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead with an unassisted short-handed goal on a breakaway at the 5:29 mark of the second period. The goal helped Chicago earn a 2-1 victory at the Calgary Flames on Thanksgiving night.
Dowell joins a growing fraternity of former Badgers playing for the Blackhawks as former teammates Adam Burish, who was on the ice on the penalty kill when Dowell scored, and Rene Bourque, who was injured earlier in the week in a game in which he scored two short-handed goals and an assist, have been regulars for Chicago this season.
The Blackhawks, who have struggled in recent years, are one of the NHL's most improved teams this season at 12-8-1. The Hawks sit in second place in the Central Division with 25 points, six points behind the front-running Detroit Red Wings, who boast former Badger defensemen Chris Chelios and Brian Rafalski.
In addition to Dowell's debut last night, former Badger defenseman Sean Hill, a member of the UW's 1990 NCAA championship team, made his season debut Wednesday night for the Minnesota Wild. Hill debut, coupled with Dowell's first career game, gives Wisconsin 15 players who have skated in the NHL this season. Last season, 18 former Badgers skated in NHL action, the most of any college hockey program.
This season's list includes Dany Heatley and Brian Elliott of the Ottawa Senators, Andy Wozniewski of the Toronto Maple Leafs, David Tanabe of the Carolina Hurricanes, Chelios and Rafalski of the Detroit Red Wings, Burish, Bourque and Dowell of the Chicago Blackhawks, Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators, Hill of the Minnesota Wild, Tom Gilbert of the Edmonton Oilers, Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks, Brad Winchester of the Dallas Stars and Steve Reinprecht of the Phoenix Coyotes.
