From the halls and ice of Young Arena to making it to the "big time", Waterloo hockey fans will be excited to hear that former Black Hawks forward Shane Bowers will become the 31st Waterloo alum to play in an National Hockey League game.

According to a team press release: Bowers is now listed on the Colorado Avalanche roster, with his NHL debut possible as early as tonight (Tues. Feb. 2nd) when the team hosts the Minnesota Wild in Denver. Bowers is on the cusp of becoming the 12th former Black Hawk to skate in an NHL game during the current 2021 hockey season and the first to make his league debut this winter.

In 2015, Bowers joined the Black Hawks at just 16 years old, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native had an outstanding first season with 15 goals and 18 assists, and was selected to the league’s All-Rookie 2nd Team. Then NHL scouts started watching in 2016/17, when he played in all 60 regular season games with 22 goals and 29 assists. As a result, Bowers became just the third Waterloo player to be selected during the 1st round of the NHL Draft. The Ottawa Senators picked him 28th overall.

2017 NHL Draft - Round One
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 23: Shane Bowers poses for photos after being selected 28th overall by the Ottawa Senators during the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center on June 23, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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Bowers played his college career at Boston University, accumulating 28 goals and 25 assists during 77 career NCAA games over two seasons.  In March of 2019, the Avalanche formally acquired him on a three-year contract and assigned him to their American Hockey League affiliate for 2019/20.  Before the schedule was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Bowers had 10 goals and 17 assists in 48 AHL games for the Colorado Eagles.

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Colorado Avalanche Training Camp
Shane Bowers of the Colorado Avalanche skates during training camp at the Pepsi Center on July 14, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Bowers will join Jacob MacDonald as the second Hawk to ever skate for the Avalanche after McDonald’s first appearance with the team on Sunday.  Colorado also selected recent Waterloo forward Ryder Rolston during fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft in October.

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