TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger reports that head coach of the Winnipeg Jets Rick Bowness is set to announce his resignation on Monday.
This morning, coaching news from Winnipeg. Rick Bowness, the head coach of the @NHLJets, is scheduled to announce his retirement today. Bowness is a first-time finalist for the Jack Adams Award and has coached in the NHL for over 2600 games. Fantastic dude. Great career.
The announcement was made a week after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Jets in five games during the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Additionally, according to Dreger, Bowness’ replacement “will be strongly considered” for Jets associate coach Scott Arniel, who led the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010 to 2012. However, “all options will be discussed as part of the process.”
“Bowness was leaning towards retirement in 2022 after leaving (the Dallas Stars), but the lure to coach Winnipeg was too great for him,” TSN hockey insider Pierre LeBrun claims.
The Jets finished second in the Central Division and tied for the fourth-best record in the NHL with a record of 52-24-6 and 110 points from the previous campaign. For the first time in his coaching career, Bowness was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award last week.
The Atlanta Flames selected Bowness, who was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, in the second round of the 1975 NHL Amateur selection. Throughout the course of six NHL seasons, Bowness played in 173 games for the Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and Jets, tallying 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points.
As an NHL head coach, Bowness coached the Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and for 28 games in 1988–89, the original Winnipeg Jets. His record was 310–408–48–37.
In addition, he was an associate coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks.