The head coach Rick Bowness has been retired from hockey after 38 seasons in the NHL, this retirement is announced by The Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
The Bowness, 69 years old head coach was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, in the previous seasons he has been “contributed the most to his team success,” after leading Winnipeg to a 52-24-6 record (110 points) and a second straight playoff berth.
During Bowness career, he has served as the head coach of the Jets (1988-89; 2022-23 to 2023-24); the Boston Bruins (1991-92); the Ottawa Senators (1992-93 to 1995-96); the New York Islanders (1996-97 to 1997-98); the Phoenix Coyotes (2003-04) and the Dallas Stars (2019-20 to 2021-22).
He has achieved 310-408-48 in his career, and lead the team to five playoff appearances and the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 20219-20 campaign.
Bowness also played for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and the Jets in Rick’s career and he also served as an assistant coach for a number of franchises. Rick hinted that his pending retirement in the press conference on Thursday after the Jets has been eliminated from the postseason by the Colorado Avalanche.
“Since my last season in Tampa, every year I sit down and I talk to (his wife) Judy, talk to the kids,” he told reporters. “I will talk to [team chairman Mark Chipman] and [executive vice president and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff] and I know what I’m going to do. I know what I want to do. That will come out. We will let you know.”
Jet’s associate coach Scoot Arniel will likely to replace him, but a coaching search will commence in Winnipeg. It may be a very busy offseason with six players set to hit free agency. Plent more turnover could be on the horizon for Winnipeg. “There are going to be changes,” Cheveldayoff told reporters last week. “Changes are inevitable every offseason, whether you want them to happen or you don’t want to happen.”