Jacob Fowler’s path to get where he is today has been anything but conventional. 

Unlike most players in the USHL, Fowler was never selected in a USHL draft. Instead, an invite to the Youngstown Phantoms’ mini-camp was his foot in the door.

With family living near where Youngstown’s mini-camp was being held in Pennsylvania, Fowler caught the coaching staff's attention over a week-long event. After being invited to an exit meeting, the young goaltender was signed to the Phantoms’ affiliate list as a 15-year-old.

“I'm pretty proud of my background and how my career has shaped up,” Fowler said.

‘My story is a little bit different than others. I was undrafted in this league, so I started at the bottom of the totem pole, and I've gotten to the top at this moment. I think being that 15-year-old kid at mini-camp my first year with no expectations, coming into Youngstown and then having it all come full circle now, it's pretty awesome.”

A 2023 NHL Draft-eligible prospect, the Orland, Fla., native is expected to be among the first goalies selected this summer. He was listed seventh among North American goalies in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings.

Fowler has pieced together a strong resume that has his team in excellent shape for a long postseason run and for him to be high on many NHL clubs’ draft boards.

He currently leads the USHL in wins (23), goals-against average (2.29), save percentage (.922), and shutouts (5). 

The USHL Three #StarsRise of the Night

⭐️Jacob Fowler (@YtownPhantoms) W, 37/38 saves - 6/6 in OT & 6/6 in SO

⭐️⭐️Jaksen Panzer (@sfstampede) 1-2--3, 5 SOG, +3, GWG

⭐️⭐️⭐️Alexander Rybakov (@sfstampede) 1-2--3, 2 SOG, +3

HM | Dane Dowiak (@TriCityStorm) 2 Gs, GWG

— USHL (@USHL) March 26, 2023

In February, he set the Phantoms’ franchise record for most career shutouts with seven, a record that could stand for a while, especially if he adds one or two more before the end of the year. Earning individual accolades is important to Fowler, but he credits the organization for putting him in a position to succeed.

“It's been a true testament to the way we play in Youngstown and that it doesn't matter if it's 8-0 or 1-0, the boys are going to do whatever it takes in front of me to get that zero on the board. I'm really appreciative of them, and we're definitely not done yet for the season,” he said.

Despite the overall numbers, Fowler’s first month of the season was a little inconsistent. He dropped five out of his first six contests, allowing at least four goals in three games.

With a new coaching staff in place and the adjustments that come with starting a new season, Fowler was looking to find the same success from the second half of the 2021-22 season.

He didn’t make his USHL debut until late January last year, at which point he became a regular in the goalie rotation for Youngstown. Over 18 appearances, Fowler went 11-4-0-1 with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

Fowler’s second year with the Phantoms has been a whirlwind experience.

The 18-year-old backstopped Team USA to a gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge. He won all four of his starts while posting a .918 save percentage, a 1.75 goals-against average and one shutout.

Fowler also picked up the win in the USHL Cleveland Classic, Youngstown’s outdoor game played against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the home stadium of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.  

Fowler also made a major decision about his hockey future when he flipped his commitment from Clarkson University to Boston College, a program he grew up wanting to play for.

After decommitting from Clarkson, Fowler took his time carefully reviewing his options, but he always kept coming back to Boston College.

“Once I got to see Boston College and be around their staff and figure out what they're all about, it's a lot of the similarities that I have in my core values, and it’s a super high-end hockey program,” he said.

With the regular season winding down, Youngstown is positioned to grab one of the top two spots in the Eastern Conference. 

Fowler has been outstanding since the calendar flipped to January 2023, winning 16 of his last 19 games, collecting three shutouts over that span. 

Recently, coming off a stretch in which he allowed two or fewer goals in six straight games, Fowler allowed four goals in back-to-back outings. 

However, he uses those games as learning moments to be mentally strong and quickly puts them in the rearview.

“If you give up four (goals) and give your team a chance to win, I think that’s all you kind of hope for,” he said.

“I don’t give up four goals too often, but just knowing that your process stays the same and continue to do the right things on and off the ice, it's going to help you in the long run.

“We’re not trying to be the best team in March. We want to be the best team sitting on May 23. I think we’re in the right spot, and we’re going to be a pretty tough team to beat coming down the stretch here.”

Regardless of where he’s drafted in the 2023 NHL Draft, Fowler has adopted a blue-collar mentality, knowing that the work will be far from done.

He’s focused on taking it one day at a time. First, with Youngstown. Next year, for Boston College.