Winnipeg Jets Bowness to retire after 38 NHL seasons

WINNIPEG – Rick Bowness walked off the ice last week after his Winnipeg Jets were knocked out of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche and he knew the day had come.

It's time for the 69-year-old head coach to retire after 38 seasons in the NHL.

“Coaches have always told me – I've been talking to coaches who are older than me – and they've always said, 'You'll know when it's time,'” Bowness said Monday at a news conference at the Canadian Life Centre. .

“And I looked around and just wasn't satisfied with the work I had done, and it hit me, it was time.”

He told his assistant coaches he planned to retire an hour after the Game 5 first-round loss to the Avalanche, and they asked if he wanted to think about it.

“But I knew. I knew in my heart it was time,” said Bowness, whose wife, Judy, sat in the back of the room watching the man they'd been with since they were 16.

His family life was also a big reason for him to make such a decision.

Bowness left the Jets twice last season for personal reasons. After Judy suffered a seizure last October, she was gone for more than a month. He also missed time to undergo a minor, undisclosed medical procedure in March.

“These are life-changing moments. They are, they are,” Bowness said. “I'm still dealing with some minor issues that need to be addressed.”

The Moncton, NB native led the Jets to a 98-57-9 record in two seasons behind the bench, leading the team to the playoffs each year, with only two first-round wins in five games.

The early exit this season was especially impressive when Winnipeg matched a franchise record with 52 wins in both the Central Division and the Western Conference.

When the Jets won Game 1 of the series against the Avalanche, Bowness became the oldest head coach to win an NHL playoff game.

He is also a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, which recognizes the best head coach in the NHL.

Bowness called a few of his players to give their news rather than hear it elsewhere.

Jets captain Adam Lowry said he suspected players might retire because Bowness was so emotional after Game 5 in a 6-3 game.

He described Bowness as a “wonderful” person and communicator who showed interest in his life away from the rink and made each player feel like a big part of the team, regardless of their role.

“I think the NHL is a better place because of the time and sacrifices that people like Rick and him and Judy and their family had to make to finish their incredible careers,” Lowry said.

“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Most Coached Games (2726). You talk about someone who leaves it better than when they came in, and I think Rick really embodies that.”

Bowness' hockey career came full circle with the Jets.

The former right winger made 45 appearances for the club in the 1980-81 season and played and coached with the organization for nine seasons until 1988-89. He coached the team's final 28 games in 1988-89.

Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldyff sat near Bowness at the front of the room, with players like his assistant coach Scott Arniel, co-owner Mark Chipman and Lowry also in the audience.

“He always puts the organization, players or other people before himself,” Cheveldeiff said of Bowness. “I told him, 'It would be very selfish of me to sit here and think you're being selfish, Bones, you owe it to yourself.'

“A great hockey coach and an even better person.”

Cheveldeiff wouldn't talk about the team's search for a new head coach, saying the day should be about Bowness and his contribution to the team and the game.

Arniel told reporters he was interested in the vacancy, but declined to say exactly why.

He was delighted Bowness was stepping down on his own accord after a “fantastic” career that included plenty of mentorship.

“He's been around a long time and he's affected a lot of people, whether it's coaches or players,” Arniel said. “He was just an incredible inspiration to so many people.”

Bowness coached eight different franchises. His 2,726 games as an NHL head coach, associate or assistant coach are the most in league history. He is also the third coach in league history to hold the head coaching position in five different decades, joining Pat Quinn and Scotty Bowman.

“When I leave, I just want to remember that I love the game and I respect it,” Bowness said, emotion cracking his voice.

This Canadian Press report was first published on May 6, 2024.

Judy Owen, Canadian Press