By Joe “Big Head” Coopersmith
WINNIPEG, May 6, 2024 – Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness today announced his retirement from coaching after 38 seasons in the NHL. The Moncton, NB. native led the Jets to a 98-57-9 record during his two seasons as the head coach en route to a pair of Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances.
In 2023-24, Winnipeg set club records for road wins (25), winning streak (eight games, twice: Dec. 30/23-Jan. 11/24 and Apr. 1-18/24), and point streak (14 games: 12-0-2 from Dec. 13/23-Jan.11/24). The Jets also set a franchise record by going 35 consecutive games allowing three goals or fewer (Nov. 4/23-Jan. 20/24). During that stretch, they also set a club record with a 14-game run without allowing more than two goals (Dec. 20/23-Jan. 20/24). Their 52 wins matched the franchise record set in 2017-18. Bowness was named a finalist for the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award which is awarded to “the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success”.
Bowness served as a coach for eight different franchises and was behind the bench for 17 playoff appearances, including trips to the finals as an associate coach with the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015, and as Dallas Stars head coach in 2020. He is one of only three head coaches (along with Scotty Bowman and Pat Quinn) to serve behind the bench in five different decades. His 2,726 games as an NHL coach are the most by anyone in league history.
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