Chat Transcript
CBS Sportsline.com
February 27, 2001

Dowd has six goals and 18 assists and a +/- average of +1. (Allsport)

Dowd is playing in his tenth year in the league and his first with the Wild. In 51 games, he has six goals and 18 assists and a +/- average of +1. He ranks second on the team in total faceoffs won (375) and recorded the first Wild three point game during the first Wild win (10/18).

For is career, Dowd has a +12 average.

Jim Dowd: Hello! It is nice to be here and I look forward to your questions.

Question: bellamy: How does it feel to play on the expansion Minnesota Wild?

Jim Dowd: It's great! Great opportunity! It is nice to be a part of a new, winning tradition. Overall it is a great experience. I am proud to be a part of the first year team here.

Question: wilder: What is the best and worst thing about playing for an expansion team?

Jim Dowd: Well, the best for me personally is that it is a big challenge to build a winning tradition. It is a good opportunity to get more playing time and all. Making that first step to the playoffs. There is no down side that I see. Then again, I look on the positive side of things.

Question: hockeygal: What was your favorite team when you were younger?

Jim Dowd: Probably the Rangers. The Devils moved to New Jersey when I was 12 or 13. Then I was a fan. I never had just one favorite though. But if I had to pick.. Rangers and then the Devils.

Question: girl_n_net: What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?

Jim Dowd: Winning the Stanley Cup. That's an easy one. We won it in 1995 with the Devils.

Question: gumpster: How have the Wild fans been this season? Are you guys now THE team from Minnesota?

Jim Dowd: The fans have been unbelievable. From that first game when we had a standing ovation, it was crazy. Mario Lemieux says we have the loudest rink in the NHL. Now there is hockey back in Minnesota so we could be THE team. You just can't say enough about the fans.

Question: marty3: How important is the play of Goaltender Manny Fernandez to the Wild's overall Success in the NHL?

Jim Dowd: Very important! Every player is very important, not just one guy. Manny is a good goalie coming into his own. When he is on his game he gives us a chance to win every night.

Question: minnefan: What's it like playing for Coach Lemaire, knowing that he's had success everywhere he's been?

Jim Dowd: This is my 2nd time around with him. I played for him in New Jersey for a few years. Everyone knows his track record and you want to make the most of it. We have a great coaching staff here and when Coach Lemaire talks, people listen because he knows the game inside and out.

Question: cupcrazed: How long do you think it will take for the Wild to be a factor in the Stanley Cup story?

Jim Dowd: I think so far, so good. We are making good strides. I can't say when, exactly but this team is already making noise around the league. It takes time to build but there is no timetable. I'd like to say this year or next year.. but you never know.

Question: whipnpost: It seems like you are already so close to being a winning franchise. What do you think is the missing link right now?

Jim Dowd: That is a matter of us being a first year team. We just have to tweak some things here and there. You will see improvements from the 1st year to the 2nd. People have more confidence. One year out of the way will make a big difference.

Question: minnefan: How difficult is the mood in the locker room when the team is in the midst of a losing streak? Who really steps up then to try to raise morale?

Jim Dowd: Not that it is difficult but you get in a funk and you have to help each other out. That is why you have teammates.. to help each other. The old saying of not getting too high or too low is true. You have to take it one day at a time and work your way out of it. Everyone on the team steps up. This team is great for that. Everyone has a lot of character. It comes from the coaching staff, the players, and everyone. We all throw our two cents in and try to help everyone out. That is why we have had success this year as a team and we will continue to have success.

Question: puckerup: You're one of the most experienced players on the team. So what advice do you have for the rookies, just coming into the league?

Jim Dowd: Just work hard and have fun. That is the main thing. Stay focused. You will have your good and bad days. The one thing I tell them is that you will have bad days. And forget about them. Try to have more good days than bad. Staying positive is one of the most important things, mentally, for anyone in sports.

Question: dowd_fan: Who's the toughest guy you play against in the NHL?

Jim Dowd: The toughest? There are a few different things to look at. #61 has been proposed and automatically accepted. The toughest to play against is either Sakic or Forsberg. Anything you try to do is almost impossible. You have to hope they have a bad night. There are a lot of good goalies too. Patrick Roy is one we have trouble with this year. That is a tough question.

Question: stymie: If you could put yourself on a line with ANY players, past or present, who would you like to play with?

Jim Dowd: Wayne Gretzky and.. lets see.. who would it be.. Probably Mario Lemieux. Those two.

Question: hockeygal: Do you have any pre-game rituals or stuff like that?

Jim Dowd: Nah.. not really. I get dressed the same way all the time, but that is no big deal. No rituals. Some guys listen to the same music and stuff but no big rituals here!

Question: freek: How do you feel about helmets and face shields? Should they be mandatory, optional, required for the first couple of years?

Jim Dowd: Optional. The game was meant to be played without a helmet in the beginning. My opinion is that the equipment is too big to begin with. I think kids starting out should not use shields. They use shields all the time and that is why you have high sticks and all. There are some guys in the league using football shoulder pads. That is ridiculous. We should get back to the original equipment. That will never happen, though. As far as half-shields? No way they should be mandatory.

Question: wilder: Do you think the league has really cut down on the violence in the sport, and do you think it's necessary for them to do so?

Jim Dowd: There really isn't "violence". There are a few fights now and then, but it is a contact sport. They have done a good job on the sticks to the head and all. It all depends on the infraction. If someone comes across and hits the guy from behind then maybe. But that is the good thing about the sport. If they do that you can take it into your own hands and take the 5 minute penalty. That is the great thing about this game. Good passes, talented shooting, good defense, quick moving and good fights. Everything you could want from a sport.

Question: bellamy: Ok how bout this...Who is the toughest guy to fight against?

Jim Dowd: I am sure a guy like Matt Johnson on our team. Or Bob Probert. There are a few out there.

Question: doc_hockey: You can score the goal, or make the spectacular play to set up the goal for someone else. Which is more fun?

Jim Dowd: Both are the same. It is great when you are the one putting the puck in and it is fun setting up someone to do that. It is a team sport and it doesn't matter who does it. You know what it feels like and how good it feels to put the puck in the net and you should want your teammate to have that too.

Question: icer: If it hadn't turned out to be hockey, what do you think you'd be doing now?

Jim Dowd: I have NO idea. Every once in a while I think about it and realize I don't want to think about it. I went to college and got my degree.. but.. I couldn't tell you what I'd be doing.

Question: zebra: Are there big differences in officiating crews in the league? Can you get away with some things with one crew that you might not be able to with another?

Jim Dowd: Sure. There are certain refs you get familiar with and you know how they call the game. You get the feel for what they call and don't. The more you have them for a game the more you get used to them. But with the 2 ref system you never know what you will get.

Question: marty3: Describe what it's like "Competing" against the Greatest Hockey Players in the World in the NHL?

Jim Dowd: Oh.. it is definitely self-fulfilling. The NHL is the highest level you can get to and when you get there and you win there is no better feeling in the world. That is what you do for a living and you base your life around it. That is something you can't describe to someone, they have to experience it.

Jim Dowd: Thank for all your questions. I enjoyed chatting with you today and had a good time. I'll do it again sometime! Bye!