Player Review: Cam Fowler

The end of the 2019-20 Ducks season was made official when the NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26. Anaheim concluded the season with a 29-33-9 record and 67 points, having played 71 games until the regular season was paused March 12 and eventually deemed completed May 26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the next few months, we'll be featuring a different Ducks player in numerical order in our annual player review series highlighting key stats and moments from the past season.

At 28 years of age, Cam Fowler isn't anywhere close to elderly. But as one of the longest-serving players on the current Ducks roster, Fowler's time with the franchise is showing - in all the best ways. It was a milestone campaign for Fowler, who - believe it or not - completed his 10th NHL season with the Ducks. He's become a cornerstone for this franchise in his decade of work, growing on and off the ice in front of our very eyes.

First, the numbers. Fowler finished the 2019-20 season with 29 points (9g/20a) in 59 games, marking his eighth season with 20 assists or more. He led Ducks blueliners in points, goals and shots (117), and ranked second in assists and power-play points (8). If not for lower-body injuries that kept him out of the lineup for a total of 19 games (Feb. 19-March 11 and Nov. 10-21), Fowler might've matched or surpassed previous single-season career highs in goals (11 in 2016-17), assists (30 in 2010-11) and points (40 in 2010-11).

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Then, there are the milestones. In the 2019-20 season opener on Oct. 3 vs. Arizona, Fowler scored his 14th career game-winning goal to surpass Scott Niedermayer (13) for the all-time franchise lead by defensemen. Eight days later, he recorded his 1,000th career shot in a game at Columbus, becoming the first Ducks defenseman to reach the mark. Before the month was done, Fowler became the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer among defensemen with his 61st career tally to surpass Niedermayer on Oct. 29 vs. Winnipeg.

Here are a couple more benchmarks he reached before the season was done. With his 26th career power-play goal on Dec. 27 vs. Vegas, Fowler tied Chris Kunitz for 10th on the franchise's all-time PPG list. Less than two months later, Fowler became the first Anaheim defenseman in franchise history to reach 300 career points with a multi-assist performance on Feb. 7 at Toronto.

Among all-time Ducks defensemen, Fowler holds club records in games played (679), goals (67), assists (234), points (301), even-strength points (173), shorthanded goals (4), game-winning goals (15) and shots on goal (1,109). He also ranks third among all-time Ducks d-men in even-strength goals (37), second in power-play points (120), tied for second in overtime goals (4) and tied for first in shorthanded points (8).

While his on-ice production was as steady as ever, Fowler's biggest contribution this season came away from the rink. During the early stages of quarantine, Fowler brainstormed ideas with his wife Jasmine, along with his teammates and their significant others on ways to make a difference in the Orange County community as details and stories emerged from the frontlines. Eventually, they Video: WPG@ANA: Fowler nets wrist shot for the equalizer.

Following in the footsteps of owners Henry and Susan Samueli, Ducks players and their significant others stepped up on April 13 by announcing a donation program of 200 meals per day to UCI Medical Center in Orange as an appreciation to the staff working tirelessly on the frontlines. The Ducks teamed up with 12 local restaurants still operating and staffing employees for the donations. Over the course of seven weeks, Video: WPG@ANA: Fowler nets wrist shot for the equalizer to UCI Health.

"You think about what you're doing and how you're helping," Fowler said. "It's a meal for these people, but hopefully it gives them a little peace of mind. They know they have a hot meal coming. They're working hard to take care of the people who really need help. If this at all can put their minds at ease in any way, that's all we're hoping to do. Show our support for them and how thankful we are that they're continuing to work for our community and keep us safe."

The Fowlers were also heavily involved in their Video: WPG@ANA: Fowler nets wrist shot for the equalizer program this season - a program they started in 2018 that provides youth with opportunities to learn, play and love hockey. They hosted the inaugural Video: WPG@ANA: Fowler nets wrist shot for the equalizer at Great Park Ice last fall, continued a partnership with Video: WPG@ANA: Fowler nets wrist shot for the equalizer to provide scholarships to kids who want to play hockey and are in need of financial assistance, and Video: WPG@ANA: Fowler nets wrist shot for the equalizer to interact with kids.

The most recent C4Kids partnership is with the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Program (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation and Education). The Ducks S.C.O.R.E. Street Hockey Program provides an in-school physical education module for local fourth graders to learn the sport of street hockey. As part of the S.C.O.R.E. Stick & Ball Program, C4Kids offered a free stick and ball for all fourth grade students upon completion of the program. In total, 2,530 sticks and balls were delivered to 48 schools before the program was paused by COVID-19. (The program was on track to deliver 4,000 of each).