Last Updated on November 9, 2026 by Janet Asprin
Justin Dowling is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who has played for the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers organizations. Born on October 1, 1990, in Alberta, Canada, Dowling grew up in Cochrane, a town near Calgary, where his family supported his dream of becoming an NHL player.
His parents are Glen Dowling and Sherry Dowling, and his publicly identified sibling is his brother, Jaeden Dowling. Dowling is married to Meg Dowling, and the couple have children, including a daughter named Perri Dowling, who was born in March 2020.
Throughout his career, Dowling has credited family support and personal perseverance with helping him overcome the challenges of reaching the NHL as an undrafted player.
Justin Dowling’s Wife: Who Is Meg Dowling?
Justin Dowling’s wife is Meg Dowling, his longtime romantic partner who has supported him throughout his professional hockey career.
The couple were already married when Justin played for the Dallas Stars during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Meg became particularly visible to hockey fans in September 2020 when she traveled to Edmonton with their infant daughter, Perri, to reunite with Justin inside the NHL’s postseason bubble.
The NHL documented their reunion in a video published on September 19, 2020, identifying Meg as Justin’s wife and Perri as their five-month-old daughter.
The reunion was especially meaningful because players had spent extended periods separated from their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meg and Perri were among the family members permitted to join players as the Stanley Cup playoffs progressed.
Who Is Meg Dowling?
Meg Dowling is originally from Alberta, Canada, and grew up in a family connected to the rodeo community.
During an appearance on the “Our Hockey Life” podcast in September 2020, she discussed spending childhood summers traveling on the professional rodeo circuit.
The podcast also explored how she and Justin developed their relationship, eventually becoming husband and wife and welcoming their first child.
Although Meg has participated in interviews about hockey family life, she generally keeps her personal and professional activities outside the spotlight.
Her educational background, current occupation, and the exact date of her marriage to Justin have not been reliably established in widely available public reporting.
Meg Dowling’s Support During Justin’s Hockey Career
Meg has supported Justin throughout a career that involved playing for multiple teams in different cities.
Professional hockey often requires players and their families to relocate, spend extended periods apart, and adjust to unpredictable schedules.
During the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Justin experienced these challenges firsthand when NHL teams entered restricted environments to complete the postseason.
After several weeks apart, he was reunited with Meg and Perri in Edmonton.
In interviews following the reunion, Justin spoke enthusiastically about spending time with his infant daughter, changing diapers, and playing with her.
The experience gave him an opportunity to enjoy fatherhood while preparing for some of the most important games of his professional career.
Justin Dowling’s Children
Justin Dowling and his wife, Meg, have children together. Their publicly identified daughter is Perri Dowling, born in March 2020.
A profile published by the Utica Comets on October 3, 2024, referred to Dowling’s children in the plural, confirming that his family had grown beyond the arrival of his first daughter.
However, reliable publicly available reports do not clearly establish the names, birth dates, or exact number of his other children.
Daughter: Perri Dowling
Perri Dowling is Justin and Meg Dowling’s daughter, born in March 2020.
Her birth came during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, when professional sports leagues were suspending their schedules and families were adapting to unprecedented circumstances.
Although the pandemic brought considerable uncertainty, the temporary suspension of NHL games allowed Justin to spend additional time at home with his newborn daughter.
In September 2020, Perri accompanied her mother to Edmonton to visit Justin during the Dallas Stars’ Stanley Cup playoff run.
At approximately six months old, she became part of one of the memorable family stories from the NHL’s postseason bubble.
Justin described enjoying everyday parenting responsibilities, including changing diapers and playing with Perri on the floor.
He also reflected on how unusual her earliest experiences had been because of the pandemic, including family photographs in which relatives wore protective masks.
The NHL featured the family reunion in its official video coverage, making Perri’s visit one of the publicly documented moments in her father’s career.
Justin Dowling’s Other Children
Justin Dowling is also a father to at least one additional child, although their identities have not been established through reliable public reporting.
In the Utica Comets’ October 2024 player profile, Dowling discussed how becoming a husband and father had changed his perspective on professional hockey.
He explained that returning home to his children provided a different sense of fulfillment from winning or losing hockey games.
The Comets also described how much Dowling enjoyed seeing his children standing beside the glass during pregame warmups.
These family experiences helped him recognize that his responsibilities and achievements extended beyond professional sports.
Because the identities of his other children have not been reliably documented, further personal details should not be presented as established facts.
Justin Dowling’s Parents
Justin Dowling’s parents are Glen Dowling and Sherry Dowling. The family raised Justin in Cochrane, Alberta, where he developed an early interest in ice hockey.
Both parents supported his athletic ambitions throughout youth hockey, major junior competition, and his long journey through the minor professional leagues.
Father: Glen Dowling
Justin Dowling’s father is Glen Dowling, who has been identified in biographical accounts of the hockey player’s upbringing.
Glen was part of the family support system that helped Justin pursue competitive hockey from a young age.
Growing up near Calgary provided Justin with opportunities to attend Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen games, experiences that encouraged his ambition to play professional hockey.
After progressing through Alberta’s minor hockey system, Justin joined the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League.
His path to the NHL was not straightforward. He was never selected in the NHL Entry Draft and spent several seasons developing in the American Hockey League and ECHL.
Throughout those years, his family continued supporting his dream.
In November 2019, Justin scored his first NHL goal while playing for the Dallas Stars against the Calgary Flames.
The achievement was especially meaningful because numerous relatives and friends from his hometown attended the game.
Although Glen has been publicly identified as Justin’s father, reliable information about his occupation, education, and other personal background remains limited.
Mother: Sherry Dowling
Justin Dowling’s mother is Sherry Dowling, who has publicly expressed pride in her son’s determination and professional achievements.
Sherry received considerable media attention on November 13, 2019, when Justin scored his first NHL goal against the Calgary Flames.
The game took place at Scotiabank Saddledome, close to the family’s hometown of Cochrane.
Approximately three dozen friends and family members attended the game to support Justin.
Before the game, Sherry and other relatives gathered together and expressed their hope that he would score.
Justin ultimately delivered a memorable goal, beating Calgary goaltender Cam Talbot during the third period of Dallas’s 3-1 victory.
However, there was an amusing twist to the celebration.
Sherry had temporarily left her seat to purchase a beverage when Justin scored, meaning she missed seeing the goal live.
She later watched the replay and celebrated with her son and the family’s large group of supporters.
Speaking to Sportsnet afterward, Sherry described how emotional the achievement was after watching Justin spend so many years working toward an NHL career.
She emphasized that the family had never stopped believing in him, despite the setbacks and challenges he experienced along the way.
The moment became one of the most memorable family stories from Justin’s professional career.
While Sherry has appeared in sports interviews, she maintains a relatively private personal life, and information about her professional occupation remains limited.
Justin Dowling’s Siblings
Justin Dowling has one publicly identified sibling, his brother Jaeden Dowling.
The brothers grew up in Cochrane, Alberta, where their family maintained strong connections to the local community.
Brother: Jaeden Dowling
Jaeden Dowling is Justin Dowling’s brother.
He was identified in biographical coverage relating to Justin’s NHL debut with the Dallas Stars in October 2016.
The brothers grew up in the same Alberta household while Justin developed his hockey skills and progressed through youth and junior competition.
Jaeden belongs to the close family network that supported Justin’s ambitions throughout his career.
Unlike his professional hockey-playing brother, Jaeden has maintained a lower public profile.
Reliable sports reporting provides little information about his educational background, occupation, or personal relationships.
There is also no established public record confirming that Jaeden pursued a professional NHL career.
No additional siblings have been reliably identified in the biographical sources reviewed.
Justin Dowling’s Family Support During His First NHL Goal
One of the most significant moments in Justin Dowling’s career occurred on November 13, 2019, when he scored his first NHL goal for the Dallas Stars against the Calgary Flames.
Dowling was 29 years old and had spent much of his professional career attempting to secure a regular NHL opportunity.
His journey included hundreds of games in the American Hockey League and ECHL before establishing himself with Dallas.
Scoring in Calgary was particularly special because he had grown up in nearby Cochrane and frequently attended games at the same arena during childhood.
With approximately 36 friends and relatives cheering him on, Dowling scored a highlight-reel goal that helped Dallas secure a 3-1 victory.
After the game, he celebrated with his supporters, taking photographs and sharing the occasion with the people who had encouraged him throughout his career.
The event demonstrated how important family support had been during his long journey to the NHL.
How Fatherhood Changed Justin Dowling’s Perspective
Becoming a father changed Justin Dowling’s approach to professional hockey and life outside the rink.
During his younger years, Dowling acknowledged that he frequently spent considerable time thinking about mistakes and evaluating his performances.
However, as he grew older and became a husband and father, he developed a different understanding of professional success.
In an October 2024 interview with the Utica Comets, he explained that his children did not focus on whether he had won or lost a game.
Instead, they were primarily excited to spend time with their father when he returned home.
Seeing his children during warmups also became one of his favorite experiences as a professional athlete.
These moments helped him appreciate the importance of maintaining a balance between hockey and family responsibilities.
Justin Dowling’s Early Life and Hockey Background
Justin Dowling grew up in Cochrane, Alberta, near Calgary.
He attended Bow Valley High School and developed his hockey skills through local minor hockey programs.
His early playing experience included time with the Airdrie Xtreme and UFA Bisons before he joined the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League.
Dowling eventually became captain of the Broncos and developed a reputation as a hardworking offensive forward.
Despite his success in junior hockey, he was not selected in the NHL Entry Draft.
He subsequently pursued professional opportunities with teams including the Abbotsford Heat, Utah Grizzlies, Idaho Steelheads, and Texas Stars.
In 2014, he helped the Texas Stars win the Calder Cup, the American Hockey League championship.
He made his NHL debut with Dallas in October 2016 and later played for the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils.
In July 2025, Dowling signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers organization.
His career illustrates the perseverance required to reach professional hockey’s highest level, with family support remaining an important part of his journey.
Frequently Asked Questions About Justin Dowling’s Family
Who is Justin Dowling’s girlfriend?
Justin Dowling’s longtime romantic partner is Meg Dowling, who is now his wife.
Is Justin Dowling married?
Yes. Justin Dowling is married to Meg Dowling. Their marriage was publicly confirmed by the NHL during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Who is Justin Dowling’s wife?
His wife is Meg Dowling, an Alberta native who participated in an interview about her family’s experiences during the 2020 NHL postseason bubble.
Does Justin Dowling have children?
Yes. Justin Dowling has multiple children. His publicly identified daughter is Perri Dowling, while details about his other children have not been reliably established.
Who is Justin Dowling’s daughter?
His daughter is Perri Dowling, who was born in March 2020 and appeared with her parents during the Dallas Stars’ 2020 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Who are Justin Dowling’s parents?
His parents are Glen Dowling and Sherry Dowling, who raised him in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.
Who is Justin Dowling’s father?
His father is Glen Dowling, who has been identified in biographical coverage of Justin’s early life.
Who is Justin Dowling’s mother?
His mother is Sherry Dowling, who celebrated his first NHL goal against the Calgary Flames in November 2019.
Does Justin Dowling have siblings?
Yes. His publicly identified sibling is his brother, Jaeden Dowling.
Where is Justin Dowling’s family from?
Justin Dowling grew up with his family in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, approximately 30 minutes from Calgary.
A dedicated ice hockey journalist, Janet Asprin delivers sharp, detailed coverage of the NHL season. From evaluating trade deadline moves and line combinations to analyzing power plays and postseason standings, Janet brings a fresh, structured perspective to every game. She focuses on translating high-speed rink strategy into compelling stories and actionable insights for hockey fans.
