Victoria Grizzlies’ forward Dustin Mowrey is turning heads early in the 2009/10 BCHL season, and for good reason. A look his stats tells a large part of the story.
In his rookie year last season, Mowrey had 8 goals over 60 regular season games. This year, Mowrey has already eclipsed that total after just a dozen regular season contests.
Grizzlies head coach Victor Gervais explains the reason for the spike in Mowrey’s play.
“He knows exactly what it takes to jump up to that next level,” says Gervais. “Dustin came to camp as one of the guys in the best shape on the team. He works extremely hard on and off the ice. Last year he was a fourth line guy for us and this year he’s on our top two lines.”
Gervais says that Mowrey’s tenacity in front of the net has been one of the keys to the 18-year-old’s scoring touch.
“He’s got a great shot and he gets to the net and works extremely hard around the net. That’s where he gets most of his goals,” says Gervais.
Among those captivated by Mowrey’s leap forward this season were several NCAA schools, including Cornell University, whom Mowrey has committed to playing for next season.
Based in New York State, Cornell has produced notable players including NHL superstar Joe Nieuwendyk and Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden, not to mention several Nobel Prize winners on the academic end.
Mowrey speaks enthusiastically about choosing Cornell over the other schools that were recruiting him.
“There were a few schools interested in me, but Cornell felt like the right fit, both academically and from the hockey side,” explains Mowrey. “I got a chance to witness their off-ice workouts and it really convinced me to go there.”
Mowrey goes on to explain the rapport he felt with Cornell’s coaching staff.
“I just felt something, like I could trust the coaches,” says Mowrey. “They were pretty honest with me; they said that not everyone is going to play in the NHL and you need a good education. They told me Cornell could offer me that. I did some research, and it seemed like they could.”
The NCAA is home to some of North America’s top prospects, and is renowned for its skill level. Coach Gervais is confident that Mowrey’s success in the BCHL will translate to the top collegiate level on the continent.
“I think he’ll be really good in the NCAA,” says Gervais. “Cornell is one of the top hockey schools in the United States. They’ve got a great program and great coaches, so they’ll continue to make him a player, that’s for sure.”
One of Mowrey’s assets is his versatility, which is part of the reason why Gervais is so confident about the future of his leading goal-scorer.
“He could be a checker or play on their top two lines,” says Gervais. “He can play both roles for them. He goes to the net hard, and is very explosive. He skates really well, and he’s a great penalty killer as well.”
Mowrey himself is conscious of the need to avoid becoming one-dimensional. He recalls last year’s move up to the BCHL, and how he adapted.
“It was different coming from Junior B, being a first-liner, and then getting to Junior A and changing my game to fit into the team,” explains Mowrey. “It was a good experience learning to do whatever I could to help the team win.”
Winning in Victoria last season took on special meaning, as the Grizzlies were the host team for the RBC Cup. Being thrown into that high-intensity environment as a rookie made for a steep learning curve.
“There was pressure playing such important games in front of a home crowd,” recalls Mowrey. “There was a lot of hype.”
But that was last year, and Mowrey prefers to keep his eye on the path ahead. He is single-minded in his ambition.
“I just want to focus on hockey,” says Mowrey. “My goal is to win.”
With his remarkable ability to improve, Dustin Mowrey is poised to continue achieving that goal, which means that come the 2010/11 hockey season, the NCAA will have an exceptional BCHL grad on its hands.
