Bowey treating Canucks as last stand
Newly acquired defenceman has the tools to find success in NHL, his WHL GM says
Bruce Hamilton has fond memories of Madison Bowey.
The owner, president and general manager of the Western Hockey League's Kelowna Rockets watched the big-bodied Bowey — the newest addition to the Vancouver Canucks' back end — dominate the defensive side of the game and also contribute offensively at the junior level.
In his final WHL season, the Winnipeg native helped the Rockets capture the 2014-15 league title and come within a victory of a Memorial Cup championship. He amassed 60 regular-season points (1743) in 58 games and 19 in the post-season (7-12) in 19 outings before six more points (1-5) in five national championship games.
It's why Hamilton believes that Bowey's career, which has yet to gain lasting traction with 40 points (5-35) in 156 games during three NHL stops, could get going in his fourth.
Bowey was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, along with a 2021 fifth-round pick, in a trade-deadline deal that sent a fourth-rounder in the same year the other way. The 25-year-old is obviously buoyed to be more than just a right-shot depth replacement for the traded Jordie Benn.
“Madison was close with (coach) Barry Trotz in Washington, but they were so deep and he almost lost his way a bit and got buried,” Hamilton said Tuesday. “It's a good trade for Vancouver with how hard it is to find defencemen. He's the full package. He's big and can skate and has some bite, too, which is something the Canucks are probably looking for because he's built like a linebacker.
“Travis Green knows how to deal with this age group and Bowey probably knows it's the last crack. He should focus on being a solid defensive guy right now. Once he turned pro, he was like a lot of other young guys. They think the offence is easy, but the defence keeps getting them paid.
“He's always got a big smile and is a good player and a good person.”
Bowey was en route to Vancouver on Tuesday and had more trouble getting a good Zoom connection than any trouble the 6-foot-2, 198pound defender will have acclimating to this city. He played in the world junior tournament with Jake Virtanen and his Capitals connections are Braden Holtby, Jay Beagle, Nate Schmidt and Travis Boyd.
As for the motivational carrot being dangled, Bowey is looking to make a long-term impression after his contract and US$750,000 salary cap hit expire after next season. To do that, he has to be more like the guy who had 17 points (3-14) in 53 games with the Detroit Red Wings in 2019-20 than the one playing just two NHL and two AHL games this season. It's a long way back from being a second-round pick by the Capitals in 2013.
“I'm still young and developing and I just need to play more and this will be a great fit for me and for the future,” Bowey said from Dallas, where he was between flights. “I know I can play in this league and know what I'm capable of doing in the little areas to work hard and build my game.
“My goal is to make Vancouver my home for a long time. I'm ready to relish a role and I can't say it's my last (career) shot, but I'm treating it like that. I want to stick here and be a big part of the puzzle for years to come.”
The Benn departure will get Olli Juolevi back into a third-pairing deployment, but the future landscape could shift significantly with Alex Edler and Travis Hamonic being unrestricted free-agent blue-liners with no-movement clauses. Any shift will benefit Bowey.
“I'm well-rounded and can really help at both ends and the offence is never going to leave my game,” Bowey said. “But I need to be solid defensively and then maybe play with a dynamic defenceman. I've always prided myself on getting the puck up ice and my game has developed.
“It was a bit of a mental battle this year, but that only created a better character in me and the Blackhawks had nothing but good things to say in how I carried myself during the tough times. I took up golf during the pandemic (NHL COVID-19 pause) and I spent a lot of time on the range. You can practise all you want, but you don't really learn how to play until you get on the course.