When a hockey player earns the “C” on their sweater, it isn’t given out lightly.
A great hockey captain isn’t just the best scorer or the toughest player, they’re the emotional engine, communicator, and standard-setter for the entire team. The “C” on the jersey signals trust from coaches and respect from teammates.
All of that embodies why Dane Dowiak was selected as captain of this team.
“(Dane) is very accountable to himself. He talks a big game, but he backs it up,” Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said earlier this year when Dowiak was selected as captain.
“He’s an extremely strong, gritty guy. He loves Penn State and embodies it. Most importantly, he plays for the team.”
“We are seeing exactly what we saw from Dane the previous two seasons, and I’m sure it’s exactly why he got selected by his peers. He does his job. He can play in every situation, and no matter what you ask of him, he never complains. He’s never even hinted at wanting a different role. He’ll do whatever is asked of him to the best of his ability.”
As Penn State’s championship aspirations grew following the program’s first Frozen Four appearance a year ago, Dowiak has ascended from being a gritty third- or fourth-line center to centering Penn State’s top line.
Penn State was put in a difficult position when forward Charlie Cerrato went down with an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the regular season. However, Dowiak’s ability to adjust while being flanked by forwards Gavin McKenna and Aiden Fink has seemingly made him the missing piece for that line.
“It sucked having Chuck (Cerrato) go down. He’s one of our best players and I can’t wait to have him back,” Dowiak said. “But jumping into this role, I mean, I’m playing with two guys that are going to be in the NHL for a long, long time.”
Dowiak remained humble about his role, focusing on the finer details needed for the line to succeed in winning faceoffs, going to the net, and battling for loose pucks, but he has also been a spark plug in his own right while creating opportunities for McKenna and Fink to flourish.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.In the seven games Gadowsky has paired McKenna–Dowiak–Fink, the line has produced 35 points, with Dowiak himself generating 10 points (five goals, five assists). The offensive infusion was needed considering that, prior to Cerrato’s injury, the “B-T-B” line of forwards Cerrato, Matt DiMarsico, and JJ Wiebusch combined for 66 points in 19 games (3.47 points per game).
Dowiak’s teammates agree his impact has been a force multiplier in their success.
“Yeah, I think Dane, he’s the core of this line. His work ethic, the way he wins puck battles for us. I don’t know how many goals we’ve gotten where ‘Daner’ won a battle,” said Gavin McKenna, who has produced 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) since returning to Penn State from Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. “Finker has been amazing. Coming off injury is never easy, and I think since returning it’s been the best hockey he’s played this year. Our line’s just been clicking. We’ve started to find our groove and keep it going.”
“I was just going to say Dane means everything to this line,” said Aiden Fink. “He brings competitiveness. He brings intensity…he does everything. He gets to those dirty areas and creates space for me and Gavin.”
As the Winter Olympics get underway, the Wexford, Pennsylvania, native will naturally take note of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, but he will also have his eyes on an American he models his game after Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk who has been at the heart of the Panthers back-to-back Stanley Cup runs.
Much like Tkachuk, Dowiak would like a repeat at the Frozen Four and more.
Because at Penn State, the “C” on his sweater doesn’t crown a captain, it confirms one and Dowiak everyday leads with the best of them.
