Rick Bowness, head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, announced his retirement on Monday following his two-season tenure with the team. This decision follows the Jets’ early exit from the playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche, and it comes shortly after Bowness was named a finalist for the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award.
During Bowness’s leadership, the Jets achieved a commendable record of 98 wins, 57 losses, and 9 ties over the past two seasons. Under his guidance, the team notably improved by 15 points in the most recent season, culminating in a second-place finish in the Central Division with a record of 52 wins, 24 losses, and 6 ties.
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Bowness boasts an impressive NHL coaching career spanning 2,726 games, both as a head coach and an assistant coach. Alongside Hall of Fame coaches Pat Quinn and Scotty Bowman, he is one of the few coaches whose careers have spanned five decades.
The 69-year-old began his head coaching journey with the first iteration of the Winnipeg Jets in the 1988-89 season. Throughout his career, he has amassed a record of 310 wins, 408 losses, 37 ties, and 48 ties across various NHL teams, including the Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, and Dallas Stars.
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Bowness faced personal challenges last season, taking a leave of absence on two occasions. Initially, he missed 13 games due to his wife’s illness, followed by another absence of five games in March after undergoing a medical procedure.
