On Sept. 17, Dallas Star forward Justin Dowling had a community town hall meeting with Mayor Bill Given and minor hockey players of Grande Prairie from inside the NHL playoff bubble in Edmonton. 

The Cochrane-born player says he does have some ties to Grande Prairie, with friends that have played here. Dowling has been happy to be back in his home province and away from the “unbearable” 110 degrees Celsius weather in Dallas. 

A number of Grande Prairie Minor Hockey players got the opportunity to ask Dowling questions about his experience with hockey. 

Dowling says the most important part of hockey is having fun. When asked by one young player for the best advice he had received, he said, “Make sure you always go to the rink with a smile on. That’s my biggest advice for you.” 

The town hall is available to watch on the NHL’s website. 

The Dallas Stars will play game one of the Stanley Cup Final tomorrow at 5:30 MST against the Tampa Bay Lightning.