Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren roomed with Dowd as a freshman at St. Cloud State in 2013-14 and remembers thinking, "Holy cow, how in the world did he make it to St. Cloud State from Alabama?" One thing quickly stood out about Dowd, though, when Lindgren watched him prepare for the season.
"I remember just being blown away by Nic Dowd's work ethic," Lindgren said. "I think at that time he was doing weights, then he was doing a plyo workout, and then he was skating probably an hour, hour-and-a-half each day, just putting in the absolute work. I just remember that totally standing out being like, 'Wow, this going to be the leader of our hockey team. 'This is how he goes about his business.'"
Dowd credits his parents for instilling that in him.
"For my dad and my mom to both have high-level careers and continue to raise kids, I definitely don't discount the fact that watching them, I learned subconsciously what it took to become an NHL player," he said. "Even though they didn't necessarily sit me down and tell me about these things, actions are going to speak a lot louder than words. And I just believe that watching my mom and my dad, and then having successful people coach me throughout my career is what's got me here."
It also took patience. After Dowd was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round (No. 198) of the 2009 NHL Draft, he didn't make his NHL debut until 2016, when he was 25, following three seasons in the American Hockey League.
"I guess you'd consider him a late bloomer but it's a testament to his work ethic, the fact that he was never going to take 'no' for an answer," Lindgren said. "He had NHL aspirations and he's chased them."
Dowd played parts of three seasons with the Kings before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks on Dec. 18, 2017. After he had three goals in 40 regular-season games with Vancouver in 2017-18, he became an unrestricted free agent and signed a one-year contract with Washington for the League minimum of $650,000.
While Dowd was at a crossroads in his career at 28, after playing 131 games in the League, the Capitals were coming off winning their first championship by defeating the Golden Knights in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. Dowd established himself as an NHL regular centering Washington's fourth line, getting 166 points (79 goals, 87 assists) in 506 regular-season games and six points (four goals, two assists) in 40 playoff games there.
He never came close to winning the Cup, though.
"In eight years in Washington, I won one series, which is crazy because we played with some really, really good teams," Dowd said. "Most years, we got beat in the first round and we had really good teams. So, I think just speaks to how hard it is to win any playoff series and get to that point."
Being traded to Vegas was surprising to Dowd at the time because Washington was still in the playoff hunt (it missed by four points) and he has another season left on the two-year, $6 million contract he signed April 16, 2025. Although it meant uprooting his life, Dowd has fit well with the Golden Knights, centering their fourth line between Cole Smith and Keegan Kolesar, playing on the penalty kill and taking defensive-zone face-offs.
He's been a key contributor during their run to the Cup Final with four points (three goals, one assist) and winning 51.9 percent of his face-offs while averaging 13:21 in ice time in 18 playoff games.
"The way he plays is perfect, especially for playoffs right now," Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. "It's face-offs, penalty killing, blocking shots. He's good in the room, full of energy. He could not do anything but fit with a hockey team."
Throughout his long journey, Dowd has never forgotten his roots, saying, "If not for Huntsville Amateur Hockey Association, I wouldn't be here."
With the Golden Knights and Hurricanes tied 1-1 through the first two games of the Final, Dowd is three wins away from becoming the first player from Alabama to get his name on the Cup. He would love to share this experience with his family. He said his brothers and, hopefully, his mother, will be able to attend some of the games.
Paige and the kids are in Minnesota, though, and he'll have to settle for his father being with him spiritually.
"Losing a parent, you never feel more like a kid when that happens, even at my age," Dowd said. "There's a lot more to this than just me – my wife, my kids back home, having a baby soon. There's a lot of guys in here that have things going on outside of the game. But it means a lot, for sure."
