The Rockford IceHogs, proud affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to a one-year AHL contract with this season’s team captain Jake Dowell.
Dowell, 31, joined the IceHogs on a professional tryout contract before working his way into an AHL contract and becoming the captain of the team. He had his best offensive season in 2015-16, finishing third on the team in assists (24) and tied for fifth in points (35) while appearing in 72 games. His 11 goals were also a career high. Dowell also made his first AHL All-Star Classic appearance.
"We had a great season last year, and we all felt like it ended too soon," said Dowell. "We had an outstanding group of guys last year, and it made for an easy decision to return for next season."
The native of Eau Claire, Wis., has appeared in 274 regular-season games during his IceHogs career, second to only Evan Brophey’s 299 games played.
Dowell has skated in 157 NHL games with the Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Chicago Blackhawks, notching 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) and 133 penalty minutes. His AHL resume includes a total of 453 games for Rockford, the Hamilton Bulldogs, Iowa Wild, Houston Aeros, and Norfolk Admirals. He has 49 goals and 94 assists for 143 points to go along with 560 PIM.
