Dane Dowiak’s season-ending injury leaves Penn State men’s hockey without its captain and most reliable center.

Beyond the “C” stitched on his jersey, Dowiak handled a majority of Penn State’s draws, tough matchups, and glued together the Nittany Lions’ top line alongside Gavin McKenna and Aiden Fink.

He was, as head coach Guy Gadowsky put it, “our top guy on draws,” and “a tough guy… great in his own end… who goes to all the dirty areas.”

With Dowiak sidelined for the remainder of the year — postseason included — his injury comes at a pivotal point in the season, when Penn State can least afford to lose yet another forward.

The Nittany Lions opened the year confident in their depth down the middle. Dowiak was one of many returning centermen from last season, giving Penn State experience in the circle. Now, with Charlie Cerrato, Keaton Peters, Alex Servagno, and Braedon Ford all sidelined as well, Penn State’s depth has been tested far sooner and way more significantly than expected.

“The fact that you’re just down that many numbers and playing short, it’s [detrimental] no matter where you are,” Gadowsky said. “It’s not necessarily a matter of getting the right players on the ice. It’s more a matter of getting fresh players on the ice.”

With fewer natural centermen available, responsibilities that once fell on Dowiak now shift elsewhere, particularly in the faceoff circle.

That was evident almost immediately in Ann Arbor. Luke Misa moved up to center the top line between McKenna and Fink — taking 24 draws — while Casey Aman continued to fill the fourth line forward slot in place of Servagno, which he’s been doing since Penn State’s series against Michigan State.

The adjustments offered a preview of what Penn State’s lineup could look like moving forward. They also served as a reminder of the workload Dowiak was responsible for before going down.

In 27 games this season, he recorded nine goals and nine assists while posting a team-best +16 rating. He also won 53.3% (189-164) of his draws, taking on the heaviest faceoff workload on the roster after Cerrato’s injury.

Much of that production came in conference play. Against Big Ten opponents, Dowiak tallied 14 points in 17 games while maintaining a +15 rating in games that often carried more weight.

That stretch was highlighted by what was arguably the best performance of his collegiate career. In a 7-2 comeback win over then No. 7 Wisconsin, Dowiak recorded a hat trick, scoring on the power play, at even strength, and shorthanded.

Even with his season over, Gadowsky emphasized that Dowiak’s role inside the program remains intact. “He’s still our captain,” Gadowsky said. “He’s still going to be a huge part of the team… He brings great value as a captain and a leader.”

So while Dowiak remains involved around the program, the responsibilities on the ice will fall to Penn State’s alternate captains Ben Schoen, Reese Laubach, and Jarod Crespo to navigate the final stretch of the season.

“We can be a resilient group,” Gadowsky said. “No one ever wants to lose their captain or anybody, but that’s where we are… Let’s move forward.”

That message now defines the path moving forward. Penn State will enter the final three series of the regular season without its captain in the lineup, but not without his influence inside the room.

The margin for error was already slim entering the home stretch. But now, every draw becomes more important. Every defensive zone shift carries more weight. And every line combination Gadowsky puts out has to compensate for the absence of the team’s captain.

If Penn State is going to make noise in March, it’ll have to do so through adversity. Dowiak’s production can’t be replaced by one player; it’ll require a response from the team as a whole.