Though Nic Dowd's tenure with the Washington Capitals came to an end in March, he's still making an impact in the D.C. area.

The former Capitals center is the first Alabama native to skate in a Stanley Cup Final.

Former Canucks Jalen Chatfield (Carolina) and Nic Dowd, Ben Hutton, and John Tortorella (Vegas) will play in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.

The former Capitals center will get a shot at the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

LAS VEGAS, April 20th, 2026– The Stanley Cup Playoffs are a different animal. Players can go an entire 82-game regular season without throwing a single hit; in the postseason, that’s downright unthinkable. Playoff hockey is known for tight checking, high emotion, and intense physicality. The Vegas Golden Knights are no strangers to that atmosphere, and it showed in their 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth.

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights successfully carried their regular-season ending momentum into the postseason by overcoming a deficit with three third-period goals for a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth in Game 1 of their opening round series.

When Cole Smith and Nic Dowd were revealed as the two major trade deadline acquisition for the Vegas Golden Knights, some wondered if they were the type of players who would push them over the top.

John Tortorella started his tenure as the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights with a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. However, it’s possible that, around the locker room, he made his mark by accidentally calling Nic Dowd by the wrong name.

For the second time this week, and third time before the trade deadline, the Golden Knights have made roster acquisitions.