Cam Fowler

Lore & Background

Fowler was born in Windsor, Ontario, to Perry and Bridget Fowler. His father was a native of Newfoundland and Labrador and his mother a native of Michigan, making him a dual citizen. The family moved to Farmington Hills, Michigan, before his second birthday. As a youth, he played in the 2004 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Honeybaked minor ice hockey team. He described himself as one of the weaker players on that team, with his potential emerging only in his teenage years. He was recruited by numerous NCAA Division I schools from age 14 and signed a National Letter of Intent with the University of Notre Dame in November 2008. The USA Hockey National Team Development Program also recruited him. The Kitchener Rangers drafted him in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection, but he refused to sign and committed to the USNTDP. With the development team, he won gold at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships and was named best defenseman of the tournament. He later broke his agreement with Notre Dame to play for the Windsor Spitfires in the 2009–10 season, believing the OHL would better prepare him for an NHL career. Notre Dame officials alleged he was paid 'under the table' by the OHL, and head coach Jeff Jackson alleged the Rangers had offered a $500,000 package to break his commitment. Fowler denied the accusations, stating he was 'completely honest' with both parties. He scored 55 points in 55 games with the Spitfires and added 14 points in the playoffs to help win the J. Ross Robertson Cup and the Memorial Cup. He also left the Spitfires briefly to play for the U.S. at the 2010 World Junior Championships, winning gold.

Reader's Guide

Fowler's significance to the Anaheim Ducks lies in his longevity and consistent role as a top defenseman over 15 seasons. He was the youngest Duck to play in his 500th NHL game. He led the Ducks defense corps during the 2014–15 season, when the team advanced to the Western Conference Final, and again during the 2016–17 season, when they returned to the Western Conference Final. He represented Anaheim at the 2017 NHL All-Star Game. His career with the Ducks included a five-year, $20 million contract extension signed in 2012 and an eight-year, $52 million extension signed in 2017. He scored his first career hat-trick in a 3–2 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 4, 2018. He suffered multiple injuries during his tenure, including a knee injury in March 2014, a right leg injury in October 2017, a shoulder injury in April 2018, and a facial fracture from a puck hit in November 2018 that required surgery. He was asked to switch from his normal left side to the right side to accommodate newly acquired players. The Ducks missed the playoffs for the first time in six years in the 2018–19 season, with only Fowler, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry remaining from the last time they missed. He was described by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau as an offensive quarterback on the powerplay who relies on skating and puck control, and was compared to Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf, though he did not play the same physical style.

Did You Know?

• Fowler was selected 12th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2010 NHL entry draft, dropping from a mid-season ranking of third among North American prospects.
• He won a gold medal with the U.S. junior team at the 2010 World Junior Championships, defeating Canada 6–5 in overtime.
• Fowler scored his first career hat-trick on November 4, 2018, in a 3–2 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
• He played for Södertälje SK in Sweden during the 2012–13 NHL lockout.