Jets HC Rick Bowness Retires After 38 NHL Seasons; Jack Adams Award Finalist

Featured Columnist IVMay 6, 2024

WINNIPEG, CANADA - APRIL 30: Head Coach Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets takes part in the post-game press conference following a 6-3 defeat against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Five of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Canada Life Centre on April 30, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Avalanche win the series 4-1. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images

The Winnipeg Jets announced on Monday that head coach Rick Bowness has retired from hockey after 38 seasons in the NHL.

The 69-year-old was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award this past season, given to the head coach who has "contributed the most to his team's success," after leading Winnipeg to a 52-24-6 record (110 points) and a second straight playoff berth.

During his career, Bowness 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's gone 310-408-48 in his career, leading his teams to five playoff appearances and the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2019-20 campaign.

He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and the Jets in his career and served as an assistant coach for a number of franchises.

NHL @NHL
Congratulations on a great head coaching career, Rick Bowness! 👏 <a href="https://t.co/LxAyNnjI21">pic.twitter.com/LxAyNnjI21</a>

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Winnipeg Jets @NHLJets
Rick Bowness' 2,726 games as an <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHL</a> coach are the most by anyone in league history 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/ILL8y0qDV8">pic.twitter.com/ILL8y0qDV8</a>

Winnipeg Jets @NHLJets
Hockey won't be the same without you, Bones 💙 <a href="https://t.co/7evocydmqK">pic.twitter.com/7evocydmqK</a>

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
Today is about appreciating Rick Bowness for the Jets. Moving forward, the organization has a high level of respect for Scott Arniel and he will be strongly considered, but all options will be discussed as part of the process. <a href="https://t.co/7Ov30ujtGs">https://t.co/7Ov30ujtGs</a>

He hinted at his pending retirement during a press conference on Thursday after the Jets were 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."

Jets' associate coach Scott Arniel will likely be the favorite to replace him, but a coaching search will now commence in Winnipeg.

It may be a busy offseason for the organization, with six players set to hit free agency. Plenty 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."