Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness announces retirement – Hockey Writers – Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness has resigned, the team announced Monday.

Bowness, 69, took over as Jets head coach – the third in the 2.0 era – ahead of the 2022-23 season after Paul Morris resigned in 2022 and interim head coach Dave Lowry was not renewed. Bowness – known as a no-nonsense but caring coach – inherited a team with a poor culture and lack of identity, but made an immediate positive impact, establishing a strong defensive style and establishing a reporting structure. The next head coach will be in a much better position than when Bowness arrived.

Bowness led the Jets to a 98-57-9 record in his two seasons on the bench and a 52-win campaign this season, tied for a 2.0 record. Unfortunately, he couldn't get them past the first round of the postseason as they lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights last spring and five games to the Colorado Avalanche last month. He had an option for a third season in his contract.

Bowness took a month-long leave of absence to be with his wife, Judy, who suffered a seizure earlier this season. He also missed some time in March for a personal medical procedure.

Bowness ended a five-decade coaching career

Bowness' coaching career spanned 38 seasons and five decades; his coaching experience began in 1984-85 with the Jets 1.0 team, where he also played. He coached eight different franchises and served as head coach six times, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals three times: as a bench coach with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015, and with Dallas. Stars as their head coach in 2020.

His 2,726 games as an NHL coach were the most in league history, the Jets noted in a news release. He posted an all-time coaching record of 310-408-48-27. (The number 48 is connections.)

He will address the media in Winnipeg this afternoon.