Jacob Charles Dowell (born March 4, 1985) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

center who played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL) with the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

, Dallas Stars and

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

Playing career

Dowell grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and played for

Memorial High School Memorial High School may refer to: United States As ''Memorial High School'' alone *Memorial High School (Millville, New Jersey) *Memorial High School (West New York, New Jersey) *Memorial High School (St. Marys, Ohio) * Memorial High School (Tul ...

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 USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the Sport governing body, governing body for organized ice ...

U-18 Developmental Program in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

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 The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was the 42nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 and 27, 2004 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout, ...

by the

. Dowell signed a contract with Chicago in July 2007. On November 23, 2007, Dowell scored a

short-handed goal Short-handed is a term used in ice hockey and several related sports, including water polo, and refers to having fewer skaters (players) on the ice during play, as a result of a penalty. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the pen ...

in his first NHL game, a 2–1 win over the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

. 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 against Vancouver and Detroit in the playoffs, but he did not play. During the 2009–10 season, Dowell played three games for the Blackhawks. 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 2 goals and 7 points. On July 4, 2012, Dowell signed a two-year

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

contract with the

. Over the duration of his contract with the Wild, Dowell amassed just 3 games, whilst primarily playing with AHL affiliates, the Houston Aeros and the

Iowa Wild The Iowa Wild are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, that began play for the 2013–14 season. The team plays at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, as the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. The team was f ...

. On July 28, 2014, Dowell signed a one-year

contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

. On August 31, 2015, Dowell signed a professional tryout contract in returning to attend the Rockford IceHogs training camp for the 2015–16 season. After 5 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. 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.

Personal

Dowell and his family have worked to raise awareness and find a cure for

Huntington's disease Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's chorea, is a neurodegenerative disease that is mostly inherited. The earliest symptoms are often subtle problems with mood or mental abilities. A general lack of coordination and an unst ...

, a disease which has afflicted his brother and his father. The Dowells host fundraisers to battle the disease. Dowell himself has tested negative for Huntington's. For his work to cure Huntington's while still committing to playing hockey, Dowell was awarded the

Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award The Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award is an American Hockey League trophy awarded annually to the player best exemplifying sportsmanship, determination, and dedication to hockey. The award is voted upon by players and members of the media around the Ameri ...

during the 2013–14 season. Dowell is married to his wife, Carly, together they have one daughter and one son. Troy Brouwer and Jake Dowell

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

*
Jake's High School Hockey Page
a
Eau Claire High School Hockey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dowell, Jake 1985 births Living people American men's ice hockey centers Chicago Blackhawks draft picks Chicago Blackhawks players Dallas Stars players EHC Black Wings Linz players Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players Houston Aeros (1994–2013) players Ice hockey players from Wisconsin Iowa Wild players Minnesota Wild players Norfolk Admirals players Sportspeople from Eau Claire, Wisconsin Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players USA Hockey National Team Development Program players Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey players