Former NHL defenseman Madison Bowey has opted to return to his international hockey career after a year in the AHL. He has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther of Germany’s DEL, per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey.
Bowey scored a quaint 15 points in 60 games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters last season. He had a confused lineup role early on, but gained better footing after Denton Mateychuk was recalled to the NHL for the long-term. But Bowey still struggled to make much headway on the scoresheet. He was often featured in the penalty column, with 70 penalty minutes once again stapling his presence as a feisty, low-event defender.
Bowey spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season in Russia’s KHL in what was the first international move of his pro career. He split the year between three clubs, ultimately ending the year with 14 points and 31 penalty minutes in 51 games. The KHL stint brought an end to Bowey’s battle for an NHL role that spanned between 2015 and 2023. He played through parts of eight AHL seasons, and six NHL seasons, over that span — but couldn’t find his way into consistent minutes up a team’s depth chart.
His first stint in North America ended with 108 points in 264 AHL games, and 40 points in 158 NHL games. He’s a stocky, puck-moving defender who should find better footing in a league where skill shines. Augsburg finished the 2024-25 season ranked second-to-last in the DEL. They’ll look for a big energy boost from the NHL veteran Bowey.
Probably because of the taxes
A “quaint” 15 pts? Odd descriptor