EDMONTON – You wouldn’t know he’s a rookie in Canada West given the poise with which he commands the MacEwan blueline and that was especially true in Friday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Alberta Golden Bears.
Dowhaniuk finished with a game-high +4 rating in the game, breaking the program rookie record of +3 that was previously shared by nine different players. It also ties Curtis Roach’s program record for the best plus/minus by any Griffins player, a +4 mark he set in 2022 against Regina.
That, of course, means Dowhaniuk was on the ice for Dwayne Jean Jr.’s overtime winner, playing a key role in defending the MacEwan zone before DJJ forced a turnover that led to his breakaway. He also had two shots and two penalty minutes in the contest.
Dowhaniuk later added an assist to his weekend just 16 seconds in Saturday’s 5-4 shootout loss at Alberta when his point shot created a juicy a rebound that Vincent Scott tapped in to open the scoring.
For the season, Dowhaniuk is tied for second in rookie scoring on the Griffins and tied for 11th amongst rookies in Canada West with two goals and 10 points in 18 games.