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Phantoms’ center Brian Dowd is USHL veteran
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Brian Dowd at Phantoms practice, Wednesday September 9, 2009.
By Tom Williams
The Williamsville, N.Y., native played with the Chicago Steel two years ago.
BOARDMAN — Phantoms center Brian Dowd, 20, has taken a bit of an unusual journey to Youngstown’s United States Hockey League expansion team.
The USHL is a top-tier amateur league for players ages 16-20 who are hoping to play well enough to be drafted in the National Hockey League’s annual draft or earn a Division I college scholarship.
Two years ago, Dowd played for the Chicago Steel, one of the Phantoms’ Eastern Division rivals in the USHL. Last fall, he enrolled as a scholarship player for Niagara University, a member of College Hockey America.
“But that conference is folding,” said Dowd of the CHA. “They are joining the Atlantic Hockey Division, which is why I chose to leave. I’m switching because that division is not the best league. ”
This is where Dowd’s journey took an unusual twist — he applied for reinstatement with the USHL.
“Coming back from college to the USHL is not a step down, by any means,” Dowd said. “If anything, every player on [this] team has the caliber to be a Division I [college] hockey player.
“It’s not a step down — it’s staying at the same level if not making a step up, from the league that I was playing in,” Dowd said. “There are a lot of players on this team who are going to go on to big Division I schools. Every player on this team has the potential to do that.”
Dowd’s parents — Brian and Lisa — supported his decision to try to earn another scholarship.
“My family and I talked about it and it was a family decision,” Dowd said. “We all agreed that this would be the best move for my hockey career.
“Hopefully, I will be able to go from this to a better [college] hockey [situation].”
Was it hard giving back scholarship money?
“It was and it wasn’t,” Dowd said. “Obviously, I want to further my hockey career. The way that program was going and the way my hockey career wants to go, I think we were moving in opposite directions.
“It was tough to lose the money with the scholarship, but I think that this is the best decision.”
Dowd credits Jason Koehler, the Phantoms’ assistant general manager, for his coming to Youngstown.
“He was my general manager in Chicago,” said Dowd of Koehler. “He drafted me when I [went] to Chicago. We’ve always had a good relationship.
“When he found out that I was asking for my reinstatement back to the USHL, he traded for me,” Dowd said. “I was very happy to find out that I’d be playing on a team where Koehler was a part of it.”
Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said Dowd “brings much-needed experience to our forward corps. If he plays to his strengths, he can be a definite impact player.”
Hockey runs in Dowd’s family. His father was an All-American for Northeastern University and was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL supplemental draft.
Dowd, who grew up in Williamsville, N.Y., said he started skating when he was about 18 months old and was playing hockey within two years.
“I ran cross country and track and field, and played lacrosse a little bit,” Dowd said. “I really decided to take hockey as my serious route when I was 13. I focused on that and didn’t play too many other sports.”
Dowd said he enjoys the camaraderie in a hockey locker room.
“I have a lot of fun being around all the guys,” Dowd said. “Every time you meet a new groups of guys, there is always a person who brings something new to the table. “You learn a lot from a lot of players.
“I enjoy hanging out with the guys, being on the bus and in the locker room with them. Bringing people together to have a laugh, I have fun doing that.”
Dowd said he’s undecided about a college major, but admits he finds psychology intriguing.
“I’ve read a lot of books about the mental part of the game of hockey,” Dowd said. “It was very intriguing to see how it would really affect a player. It truly does — the mental side of it affects you way, way more than the physical side.”
In his final year of junior hockey, Dowd knows the heat is on.
“It’s kind of all-or-nothing [so] I’m going to give it my best shot,” Dowd said. “If things don’t work out, I know I will be happy to have played with the Phantoms in my last year of hockey.
“Hopefully, everything works out.”
williams@vindy.com