The Dow Of Luke

Dow, Wilderness Continue Thier Run at The Robertson

In hockey, strength, speed, and size are all essential.

Just don’t try telling that to Wilderness forward Luke Dow.

Former Duluth East Greyhound and Current Minnesota Wilderness Forward Luke Dow says, “Especially when you’re a smaller guy like me you got to learn how to avoid contact I guess, and try to play your game through the physicality and the speed.”

With a roster height and weight of 5 foot 8 and 165 pounds, Dow has created his own shifty brand of hockey to make up for some of the size he lacks on the ice.

Dow explains, “Yeah, I started feeling my game improve early on in the season, coach pushes us in practice daily. I think the game speed has made me faster and more aware, and I think it’s helped me a lot.”

A Duluth native and former Greyhound, Dow has always had aspirations to play at a higher level.

Dow adds, “I’m not too picky, wherever I get a chance I’d like to play hockey. I love the game, I just want to keep on playing.”

Plus there’s an added advantage of skating just a few miles from home and with some familiar faces.

Dow says, “I think we got a pretty tight kit group here. We’re from all over, all over the country but it comes down to we’re all here to play hockey, we’re all here to win a championship.”

Wilderness Forward and Moose Lake native Bryceton Butkiewicz says, “Me and Luke Dow, have been on a couple of high-performance teams throughout the years so, I knew him since I was young and he’s always been a great player.”

Former Greyhound, long time friend, and also a Wilderness Forward Ryan Peterson explains, “Sometimes he’s a goofball, sometimes he’s just straight forward with everybody. He’s pretty serious most of the time, but it’s fun we hang out a lot.”

Now as Luke prepares to launch the Dow brand hockey into the college game, He and the Wilderness have a unique opportunity to be one of the last teams skating through the NAHL playoffs.

Dow says, “It would be pretty special to come out on top here. We all have the same goal in mind, we’re all pushing for it so we’ll see.”

More skating means more chances to be seen by college recruits.

Dow adds, “The farther you go in playoffs the more commitments the team gets and all that so. I mean everyone knows that too so we’re trying to keep going farther.”

Giving Dow and the Wilderness plenty of motivation to keep their season alive as long as possible.

Dow says, “I mean we all want a college commitment but at the end of the day I think anyone would substitute that for a championship, cause it would be pretty special to be a group together and be a championship team together.”