Nic Dowd

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Nic Dowd

| image = {{CSS image crop|Image = Nic Dowd 2020-02-02 (49479870117).jpg |bSize = 500|cWidth = 230|cHeight = 275|oTop = 0|oLeft = 200|Location = center}}

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Dowd with the Washington Capitals in 2020

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|5|27}}

| birth_place = Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 196

| position = Center

| shoots = Right

| league = NHL

| team = Washington Capitals

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league = AHL

| former_teams = Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks

| draft = 198th overall

| draft_year = 2009

| draft_team = Los Angeles Kings

| career_start = 2014

| career_end =

}}

Nicholas Dowd (born May 27, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 7th round (198th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

A native of Huntsville, Alabama, Dowd is the third NHL player (after Jared Ross and Aud Tuten) who is from the state of Alabama.

Playing career

=Amateur=

Dowd grew up in Huntsville, Alabama where he played junior hockey.{{cite news|last1=Teaford|first1=Elliott|title=Kings' Nic Dowd only 2nd Alabama native to score in NHL|url=http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20161021/kings-nic-dowd-only-2nd-alabama-native-to-score-in-nhl|accessdate=December 8, 2017|publisher=Los Angeles Daily News|date=October 21, 2016|location=El Segundo}} Dowd moved to Wenatchee, Washington to play for the Wenatchee Wild in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The following season he played for the Indiana Ice in Indianapolis, Indiana, before joining the St. Cloud State Huskies in the NCAA Men's Division I National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). In his senior year, Dowd's outstanding play was rewarded with a selection to the inaugural 2013–14 All-NCHC First Team {{Cite web| url = http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2014/03/13_nchc_quarterfinal_preview.php | publisher = CollegeHockeyNews.com | title = NCHC Quarterfinal Preview | date = March 13, 2014 | accessdate = March 13, 2014}} as well as being a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.{{cite web| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/sports/three-finalists-named-for-hobey-baker-award.html | work = New York Times | title = Three Finalists Named for Hobey Baker Award | date = April 3, 2014 | accessdate = April 3, 2014}} He finished his college career with 52 goals and 69 assists for 121 points in 155 games played.

=Professional=

==Los Angeles Kings==

On April 1, 2014, the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) signed Dowd to an entry-level contract, assigning him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs.{{cite web| url = http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2014/4/1/5571412/los-angeles-kings-sign-st-cloud-senior-nic-dowd | title = Los Angeles Kings Sign St. Cloud Senior Nic Dowd | publisher = SB Nation College Hockey.com | date = April 1, 2014 | accessdate = April 1, 2014}} During the 2015–16 season, he made his NHL debut on March 22, 2016, and played 5 games before returning to the Ontario Reign.{{cite news|last1=Querry|first1=Cole|title=Nic Dowd Makes NHL Debut with the Kings|url=http://thehockeywriters.com/nic-dowd-makes-nhl-debut-with-the-kings/|accessdate=April 25, 2016|work=The Hockey Writers|date=March 24, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530175304/http://thehockeywriters.com/nic-dowd-makes-nhl-debut-with-the-kings/|archivedate=May 30, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Bezyan|first1=Suzanna|title=Los Angeles Kings Assign Nic Dowd and Kevin Gravel to Ontario|url=http://www.sportsmedia101.com/losangeleskings/2016/04/12/los-angeles-kings-assign-nic-dowd-and-kevin-gravel-to-ontario/|accessdate=April 25, 2016|work=LA Kings 101|date=April 12, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509105021/http://www.sportsmedia101.com/losangeleskings/2016/04/12/los-angeles-kings-assign-nic-dowd-and-kevin-gravel-to-ontario/|archivedate=May 9, 2016|url-status=live}} He recorded his first career NHL goal the following season on October 20, 2016, against the Dallas Stars.{{cite web |title=Alec Martinez scores OT winner as Kings slip past Stars |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/alec-martinez-scores-ot-winner-as-kings-slip-past-stars/ |website=sportsnet.ca |accessdate=October 9, 2018 |date=October 20, 2016}}

==Vancouver Canucks==

In the 2017–18 season, on December 7, 2017, the Los Angeles Kings traded Dowd to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Jordan Subban.{{cite web|title=Canucks acquire Dowd from Kings|url=https://www.nhl.com/canucks/news/vancouver-canucks-nic-dowd/c-293799008|website=NHL.com|publisher=Vancouver Canucks|accessdate=December 8, 2017|location=Vancouver, BC|date=December 8, 2017}} He remained on the Canucks roster to play out the season, posting 3 goals in 40 games.

==Washington Capitals==

As a free agent from the Canucks, Dowd agreed to a one-year, $650,000 contract with reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, on July 1, 2018.{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-sign-nic-dowd/c-299369828 | title = Capitals sign Nic Dowd | publisher = Washington Capitals | date = July 1, 2018 | accessdate = July 1, 2018}} On April 11, 2019, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Capitals.{{cite web |title=Capitals Re-sign Nic Dowd |url=https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-re-sign-nic-dowd/c-306668714 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=April 12, 2019 |date=April 11, 2019}}

Dowd played on the Capitals fourth line with Garnet Hathaway and Carl Hagelin throughout the 2020-21 NHL season.{{cite news |last1=Pell |first1=Samantha |title=The Capitals head to Boston with a tied series and a battered roster|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/05/18/capitals-bruins-first-round-injuries-lars-eller/// |access-date=June 8, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 18, 2021}}

On November 14, 2021, Dowd signed a three-year, $3.9 million contract extension with the Capitals.{{cite web |title=Capitals re-sign centre Nic Dowd to three-year, $3.9M deal |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/capitals-re-sign-centre-nic-dowd-three-year-3-9m-deal/ |publisher=Sportsnet |access-date=November 14, 2021 |date=November 14, 2021}} He later signed a two-year, $6 million contract extension with the Capitals on April 16, 2025.https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-re-sign-nic-dowd#:~:text=ARLINGTON%2C%20Va.,annual%20value%20of%20%243%20million.

Personal life

Dowd was born on May 27, 1990, in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.{{cite web |title=Nic Dowd |url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/39372/nic-dowd |publisher=Elite Prospects |access-date=November 21, 2023}} to British-born parents Alan and Liz Dowd.{{cite news |last1=Borelli |first1=Stephen |title=How to raise an NHL player like Nic Dowd. Parenting a professional athlete takes finesse |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2023/04/14/washington-capitals-nic-dowd-shares-how-his-parents-helped-him-go-pro-nhl/11665020002/ |access-date=November 21, 2023 |publisher=USA Today |date=April 14, 2023}}

He married his wife Paige Dowd (formerly Kraemer), whom he met while studying at St. Cloud State University, on August 11, 2017.{{cite web|last1=Rosen|first1=Jon|title=GILBERT, DOWD, WHO HAVE LOCAL TIES, WILL DEBUT TONIGHT|url=http://lakingsinsider.com/2016/10/18/gilbert-dowd-who-have-local-ties-will-debut-tonight/|website=lakingsinsider.com|accessdate=January 22, 2018|date=October 18, 2016}}

Career statistics

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Regular season

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="5" | Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2007–08

| Culver Military Academy

| USHS

| 45

| 15

| 31

| 46

| 38

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2008–09

| St. Louis Bandits

| NAHL

| 3

| 0

| 2

| —

2008–09

| Wenatchee Wild

| NAHL

| 43

| 16

| 33

| 49

| 71

| 13

| 8

| 14

| 22

| 34

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2009–10

| Indiana Ice

| USHL

| 46

| 16

| 23

| 39

| 48

| 9

| 2

| 4

| 6

| 2

2010–11

| St. Cloud State

| WCHA

| 36

| 5

| 13

| 18

| 34

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2011–12

| St. Cloud State

| WCHA

| 39

| 11

| 13

| 24

| 36

| —

2012–13

| St. Cloud State

| WCHA

| 41

| 14

| 25

| 39

| 41

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2013–14

| St. Cloud State

|NCHC

| 38

| 22

| 18

| 40

| 32

| —

2013–14

| Manchester Monarchs

| AHL

| 7

| 0

| 3

| 0

| 4

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 0

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2014–15

| Manchester Monarchs

| AHL

| 75

| 9

| 32

| 41

| 44

| 19

| 7

| 6

| 13

| 10

2015–16

| Ontario Reign

| AHL

| 58

| 14

| 34

| 48

| 49

| 13

| 4

| 7

| 11

| 14

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2015–16

| Los Angeles Kings

| NHL

| 5

| 0

| 2

| —

2016–17

| Los Angeles Kings

| NHL

| 70

| 6

| 16

| 22

| 25

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2017–18

| Los Angeles Kings

| NHL

| 16

| 0

| 1

| 12

| —

2017–18

| Vancouver Canucks

| NHL

| 40

| 3

| 0

| 3

| 16

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2018–19

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 64

| 8

| 14

| 22

| 20

| 7

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 6

2019–20

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 56

| 7

| 8

| 15

| 28

| 8

| 0

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2020–21

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 56

| 11

| 4

| 15

| 31

| 5

| 2

| 0

| 2

| 4

2021–22

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 64

| 10

| 14

| 24

| 44

| 6

| 1

| 2

| 4

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2022–23

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 65

| 13

| 12

| 25

| 26

| —

2023–24

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 64

| 12

| 10

| 22

| 47

| 4

| 0

| 6

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2024–25

| Washington Capitals

| NHL

| 82

| 10

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | NHL totals

! 582 !! 84 !! 92 !! 176 !! 307

! 40 !! 4 !! 2 !! 6 !! 32

{{MedalCountry|{{flagicon|USA}} USA}}

Awards and achievements

class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! Ref
colspan="3"\|College
WCHA All-Academic Team \| 2011–12, 2012–13 \|
All-NCHC First Team \| 2013–14 \| {{cite web \| url = http://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/359354?referrer_id=767342 \| title = Inaugural All-Conference Teams Revealed \| publisher = National Collegiate Hockey Conference \| date = April 16, 2014 \| accessdate = April 16, 2014 }}{{Dead link\|date=March 2025 \|bot=InternetArchiveBot \|fix-attempted=yes }}
AHCA West First-Team All-American \| 2013–14 \|
Hobey Baker Award finalist \| 2013–14 \|
colspan="3"\|AHL
Calder Cup winner \| 2015 \| {{Cite web\| url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=770813 \| title = Manchester defeats Utica to win Calder Cup \| publisher = National Hockey League \| date = June 19, 2015 \| accessdate = June 19, 2015}}

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

! Ref

colspan="3"|College

WCHA All-Academic Team

| 2011–12, 2012–13

All-NCHC First Team

| 2013–14

| {{cite web | url = http://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/359354?referrer_id=767342 | title = Inaugural All-Conference Teams Revealed | publisher = National Collegiate Hockey Conference | date = April 16, 2014 | accessdate = April 16, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

AHCA West First-Team All-American

| 2013–14

Hobey Baker Award finalist

| 2013–14

colspan="3"|AHL

Calder Cup winner

| 2015

| {{Cite web| url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=770813 | title = Manchester defeats Utica to win Calder Cup | publisher = National Hockey League | date = June 19, 2015 | accessdate = June 19, 2015}}