Born in Sudbury, Ontario and raised in Ottawa, Dave Lowry was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 6th round, 110th overall, in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. He played three seasons with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League before joining the Canucks for the start of the 1985–86 NHL season. In Vancouver, he played for three seasons with only spending part of the 1987–88 season in the minors for the Fredericton Express of the American Hockey League. On 29 September 1988, just prior to the start of the 1988–89 NHL season, Lowry was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Ernie Vargas. After spending most of the 1988–89 season with the Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League, Lowry joined the Blues for the last 21 games of the season including ten more games in the playoffs. Lowry stayed with St. Louis until the end of the 1992–93 NHL season. Dave Lowry was never much of an offensive threat as his highest goal total was 19, which he did twice, both times with the Blues, and his highest point total was 40, which was also with the Blues. Before he retired, he managed to play over 1000 NHL games. Dave Lowry was drafted in the expansion draft by the Florida Panthers before the 1993–94 NHL season. Lowry had his best years in Florida. Perhaps he is most famous for being on the runner up team in 1995–96. He would be given the nickname Mr. Playoff as he scored ten goals during the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After five seasons in Florida, he was traded to the San Jose Sharksnear the beginning of the 1997–98 season along with a first round pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft for Viktor Kozlov and a fifth round pick also in the 1998 draft. After only three seasons in San Jose, Lowry went to the Calgary Flames for the 2000–01 season where he played out his last four seasons, with the exception of a brief stint with the Saint John Flames of the AHL. In his last NHL season, he played only 18 games in the regular season acquiring one goal and one assist. In the playoffs, though, he played 10 games in Calgary's improbable Stanley Cup run of 2004 that ended in a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Lowry began coaching, joining the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen as an assistant coach in 2005. Lowry was promoted to associate coach in 2007, and named the head coach of the Hitmen in 2008, succeeding Kelly Kisio. After one season as head coach for the Hitmen, Lowry joined the Calgary Flames in the NHL as an assistant coach beginning in 2009, where he served for three seasons. On July 19, 2012, Lowry was named the head coach of the Victoria Royals of the WHL. On May 30, 2017, Lowry was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. After two seasons with the Kings, he returned to the WHL as the head coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
