Jewels from the Crown: Let's talk about Huntsville. (JFTC note: Dowd was born in Huntsville; he's the first Alabama native ever drafted by an NHL team.) What's surprising is there's a real hockey tradition in Huntsville that few people know about.
Nic Dowd: I'd say it's a little bit similar to Southern California in the way that people always ask, "There's ice out there??" and stuff like that. I don't think people realize it until you actually get to Alabama, which a lot of people don't get to Alabama.
Growing up, we had a really strong youth organization, the Huntsville Amateur Hockey Association.