Dowhaniuk and Dowhaniuk: Brothers bringing physicality, poise to MacEwan blueline
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Team Stats
Alberta
| Game Statistics | Alberta | MacEwan University |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPlays | 1 for 3 | 0 for 3 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 3 (6) | 3 (8) |
| Shots on Goal | 40 | 28 |
| Face Offs Won | 0 | 0 |
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – When a defenceman has the ability to deliver bruising hits but is also just as strong in moving the puck, it's a huge boon to any hockey team.
Now times that by two.
Dowhaniuk and Dowhaniuk.
Logan and Keaton, a pair of Sherwood Park brothers who make every opposing forward coming down the wing think twice before trying to squeeze by them on the boards.
"They're both physical and hard to play against, which is great," said Griffins head coach Zack Dailey. "A lot of top players don't like that physical play and it kind of takes them off their game, so them both being physical is helpful and then I think they both break pucks out quite well.
"They make good decisions with the puck and are able to accept pressure and make plays through pressure. Their breakout and physical play makes them an effective pair together."
Logan Dowhaniuk has already made an impact with the Griffins over the past one and a half seasons after helping the Edmonton Oil Kings win the 2022 WHL Championship, so his play is well known to the Maroon faithful. Now, his younger brother Keaton – a veteran of 303 WHL games (with Prince George, Moose Jaw and Red Deer) joins him as a U SPORTS rookie in 2025-26.
The Griffins have had some success playing them together as a pairing already. That's likely where they'll suit up for a home-and-home series this weekend vs. cross-town rival Alberta (Friday, 7 p.m., Clare Drake and Saturday, 5 p.m., Downtown Community Arena, both Canada West TV).
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"I think this weekend they'll play together," said Dailey. "We had an injury last weekend where (Brody) Tallman got hurt, so we had five D and there were definitely shifts of them together. But this weekend they're going to start together. We liked them in preseason. We thought they did a good job together."
MacEwan lost three key veterans off its defence in the off-season as captain Sean Comrie, Loeden Schaufler and Hunter Donohoe graduated, so it's clear the Dowhaniuk brothers will be tasked with tons of minutes.
They already showed that in a split against UBC last weekend in Vancouver.
"Keaton had some massive hits in UBC and so did Logan," said Dailey. "They were just both really solid. I think that Logan is someone we're going to depend on a bunch this year in terms of powerplay, penalty kill and five on five. He's earned that right with his great play.
"Keaton's someone who's ahead of where we thought he'd be as a first-year defenceman. Obviously, it's a hard position to begin with, especially being a first-year guy playing against bigger, stronger, faster guys. I think Keaton's done a great job of establishing himself as a good player already."
The Griffins are coming off a 4-2 win over UBC, followed by a 6-0 loss, so it's a bit of comme ci, comme ca.
"Against UBC I saw some solid play," said Dailey. "Obviously, it's early in the season, so there's some things we need to work on, maybe move pucks a little quicker."
Alberta will also present a tough challenge, as they always do in what's become a terrific rivalry of late.
"As always, they're a team that skates very well and is really quick," said Dailey. "They like to attack off the rush and they prey on your turnovers.
"If we want to be successful, we're going to have to match their work ethic and make sure we're taking care of pucks and getting pucks behind their D and try to play in the O-zone instead of turning over pucks in the neutral zone. I think if we can do that, we'll give ourselves a chance to be successful this weekend."
