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 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, Dowell revealed he had been playing with a broken ankle that was likely suffered on February 1, 2011, in a 7–4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets as a result of blocking a slap shot from Blue Jackets defenseman Anton Strålman.[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. On February 21, 2012, in a 3–0 win over the Montreal Canadiens, Dowell suffered a broken finger, resulting in him missing the next seven games.[8] He finished 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.[9] 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 August 31, 2015, Dowell signed a professional tryout contract in returning to attend the Rockford IceHogs training camp for the 2015–16 season.[11] 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.[12]
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.[13]
Personal life
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.[14] The Dowells host fundraisers to battle the disease.[15] Dowell himself has tested negative for Huntington's in December 2015.[16] 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.[17]
Dowell is married to his wife, Carly, together they have one daughter and one son.[16]
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