NHL prospect Justin Dowling has been moved off the Dallas Stars roster – but he’s hopeful it won’t be long until he’s back in action with the team.
Dowling – who grew up in Cochrane – has been at the Stars’ training camp since September. Last week, the professional hockey club placed the 26-year-old forward on a waiver and loaned him to the American Hockey League’s Texas Stars.
“I played really well and I was playing 15 or 20 minutes a night during our exhibition games,” Dowling said this week of his performance at camp. “Just when it comes down to it, it was just a numbers thing.”
It’s a return to the AHL affiliate team for Dowling, who has been a high-scoring powerhouse for the Texas Stars for three and a half years. The development club recently named him one of its “players to watch” for the 2016-17 season.
Dowling said he’s going to use his time with the AHL to help his team win some games – as well as continue to improve and hone his performance while awaiting the all-important call-up.
“Hopefully what I did at camp proved I can earn myself a call up. It’s just dependent on injuries up there or performance … it’s just kind of a waiting game,” said Dowling. “If you’re playing good, it could be your chance to get a call. I want to make sure I’m not rusty or I’m not in the wrong spot in the D zone and I’m going the right things.”
The AHL regular season starts on Friday, while the Dallas Stars kick off its season on Thursday.
Dowling said, despite his return to the minors, he’s proud of the work he did at this year’s training camp, like improving on his face-offs. He’s hoping it’s those types of skills that will make the difference when the big leagues are ready to give him another chance.
“When you’re trying for the NHL,” he said, “you have to be good at the little things.”
