Richard Gary Bowness (born January 25, 1955) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

coach and former player who is the head coach of the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

(NHL). Bowness played right wing for the

Atlanta Flames The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum and were members of the West and later Patrick divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with t ...

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are ...

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

, and original

and

Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which oper ...

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...

, and

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The ...

teams. Bowness has been a head coach for the original Winnipeg Jets,

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and were founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minne ...

, and the second iteration of the

. He has also been an associate coach with the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce ...

and

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...

. As of 2022, he is the last active coach in the NHL who was also a head coach for an NHL team in the 1980s, and the first and only coach to have led both iterations of the Winnipeg Jets.

Playing career

Junior hockey

Born in

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces. The city has earned the nickname "Hub City" because of ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

, Bowness began his

junior hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

career with the

Quebec Remparts There have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts (french: Remparts de Québec) that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The first edition played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has play ...

(QMJHL) in 1972–73, where in 30 games, Bowness had two goals and nine points. In 14 playoff games with Quebec, Bowness had a goal and five points. Bowness started the 1973–74 season with the Remparts. He appeared in 34 games, scoring 16 goals and 45 points. Midway through the season, the Remparts traded Bowness to the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge, with whom he finished the season, scoring nine goals and 26 points in 33 games with the club, helping them to reach the playoffs. In nine postseason games, Bowness had four goals and eight points. In 1974–75, Bowness played the entire season with the Bleu Blanc Rouge, appearing in 71 games, scoring 24 goals and 95 points to finish fourth in team scoring. In eight playoff games, Bowness scored five goals and eight points. After the season, Bowness was drafted by the

in the second round, 26th overall in

1975 NHL Amateur Draft The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was the 13th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and t ...

, as well as in fifth round, 62nd overall by the

Indianapolis Racers The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are ...

of the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

(WHA) in the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft.

Professional playing career

Bowness spent the majority of first professional hockey season in 1975–76 with the

Tulsa Oilers The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and play in the ECHL. The Oilers played their home games at the Tulsa Convention Center until 2008 when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tuls ...

of the

(CHL), where in 64 games, he earned 25 goals and 63 points, and had 160 penalty minutes. In nine playoff games, Bowness had four goals and seven points. Bowness also played two games with Nova Scotia Voyageurs of

(AHL), recording one assist. Bowness also made his

(NHL) debut during the 1975–76 season, going pointless in five games with the

. His 1976–77 season was split between Tulsa and the Flames, as Bowness appeared in 39 games with Tulsa, scoring 15 goals and 30 points. In eight postseason games with Oilers, Bowness had one assist. He also played in 28 games with Atlanta Flames, recording four assists. On August 18, 1977, the Flames traded Bowness to the

for cash considerations. Bowness spent the entire

1977–78 NHL season The 1977–78 NHL season was the 61st season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens won their third Stanley Cup in a row, defeating the Boston Bruins four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals. League business Prior to the ...

in the NHL with Detroit, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 61 games, helping the team reach the playoffs. In four playoff games with Detroit, Bowness was held off the scoresheet as the Red Wings lost to the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

in the quarter-finals. He was set to return to the Red Wings for the 1978–79 season, however, on October 10, 1978, Detroit traded Bowness to the

for cash. Bowness spent most of the 1978–79 season in the CHL with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, appearing in 48 games with the team, scoring 25 goals and 53 points with Salt Lake. In ten playoff games with the Golden Eagles, Bowness had five goals and nine points. Bowness also appeared in 24 games with the St. Louis Blues, scoring a goal and four points with the club. Bowness once again spent a majority of the 1979–80 with the Golden Eagles. In 71 games with Salt Lake, Bowness had 25 goals and 71 points to finish fifth in team scoring, while accumulating a team high 135 penalty minutes. In 13 playoff games with Salt Lake, Bowness had five goals and 14 points. He also played in 10 games with the Blues, scoring a goal and three points. On June 13, 1980, the Blues traded Bowness to the

for

Craig Norwich Craig Richard Norwich (born December 15, 1955) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Norwich led the Edina East High School hockey team to the prestigious Minnesota State High School League Hockey Tournament three times, including ...

. Bowness played in 45 games with the Winnipeg Jets in the 1980–81, scoring eight goals and 25 points, however, the Jets failed to make the playoffs. Bowness also returned to the Tulsa Oilers of the CHL for 35 games, scoring 12 goals and 32 points. He spent the entire 1981–82 regular season playing with Tulsa, finishing second on the team in scoring with 34 goals and 87 points in 79 games. In three playoff games with the Oilers, Bowness had two assists. Bowness also appeared in a playoff game with the Jets, and was held off the scoresheet. In the 1982–83 season, Bowness was a

player-coach A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...

with the

Sherbrooke Jets The Sherbrooke Jets were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), based in Sherbrooke, Quebec. They were a farm team of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets. The team was coached by Rick Bowness in the 1 ...

of the

(AHL). In 65 games, Bowness had 17 goals and 48 points with Sherbrooke. Bowness wrapped up his playing career in the 1983–84 season with Sherbrooke, playing in 21 games, scoring nine goals and 20 points. He retired after the season to become an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Coaching career

Winnipeg Jets (original franchise)

Bowness became the first head coach of the Winnipeg Jets' new AHL affiliate, the

, in the

1982–83 AHL season The 1982–83 AHL season was the 47th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season, and won their fourth Calder Cup championship ...

, as a player-coach with the club. Sherbrooke had a tough season, finishing in last place in the North Division with a 22–54–4 record, earning 48 points. He stepped down as player-coach before the 1983–84, as he played one last season before retiring in the summer of 1984. Bowness became an assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets under head coach

Barry Long Barry Long (1 August 1926 – 6 December 2003
'' 1984–85 season. Winnipeg had a successful season, going 43–27–10, earning 96 points, finishing second in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs, the Jets defeated the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are the third major professional ice hockey te ...

before losing to the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

in the Smythe Division final. Bowness remained on the Jets coaching staff in the 1985–86 season, however, the club changed head coaches during the season, as Barry Long was replaced with John Ferguson late in the season. The Jets struggled to a 26–47–7 record, earning 59 points, but still good for third in the Smythe Division. In the season opener against the Calgary Flames, Bowness was once fined $500 and suspended for three games after punching Calgary forward Tim Hunter in the head during a brawl. Brian Hayward and Hunter had been involved in a scuffle which escalated to a full brawl, after Hunter continued to attack Hayward. In the playoffs, the Jets were swept by the Flames in the first round. In 1986–87, Winnipeg hired a new head coach, Dan Maloney, and retained Bowness as an assistant. The Jets rebounded from their poor season, going 40–32–8, earning 88 points, to finish in third place in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs, Winnipeg defeated the Flames in the opening round, however, they were swept by the Oilers in the Smythe Division final. After the season, Bowness became the first head coach of the

Moncton Hawks The Moncton Hawks were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick. They played in the American Hockey League between 1987 and 1994, operating as a minor league affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. Home games were played at the ...

for the 1987–88 season. Bowness led the expansion team to a 27–43–8–2 record, earning 64 points and a sixth place finish in the North Division, failing to qualify for the playoffs. He began the 1988–89 season with Moncton, leading the club to a 28–20–5 record in 53 games. Bowness was then promoted to the NHL, as the Winnipeg Jets fired Dan Maloney, and named Bowness as head coach. Bowness coached his first NHL game on February 9, 1989, as the Jets lost to the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...

4–3 at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...

. After a 0–3–1 start, Bowness earned his first NHL victory on February 17, 1989, defeating the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...

3–2 in overtime at the

Winnipeg Arena Winnipeg Arena was an indoor arena located in the Polo Park district of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The arena was the city's premier ice hockey venue from 1955 to 2004 and is best remembered as the home of the first Winnipeg Jets franchise, whi ...

. Bowness led the team to an 8–17–3 record to finish the 1988–89 season, as the Jets missed the playoffs. After the season, the Jets hired Bob Murdoch as their new head coach, and Bowness left the organization.

Boston Bruins organization

Bowness became the head coach of the

' AHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, for the

1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season. The Springfield Indians won their ...

. In his first season with Maine, Bowness led the club to a 31–38–11 record, earning 73 points and a fifth place finish as the club failed to qualify for the playoffs. He returned to the Mariners for a second season in

1990–91 Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 '' Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since t ...

, as the Mariners improved to a 34–34–12 record, getting 80 points, however, Maine finished in fifth place yet again, and failed to make the playoffs. Bowness returned to the NHL to become the head coach of the Bruins for the 1991–92 season. He coached his first game as a Bruin on October 3, 1991, defeating the New York Rangers 5–3 at the

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (la ...

. Overall, the Bruins finished the season with a 36–32–12 record, earning 84 points and second place in the

Adams Division The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins. It is the forerunner of the ...

. Bowness coached his first playoff game on April 19, 1992, losing 3–2 to the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, alon ...

. The Bruins eventually won the series in seven games, followed by a four-game sweep over the

to reach the

Wales Conference Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population i ...

finals. It was the Bruins' first four-game playoff sweep over the Canadiens. Boston was then swept by the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

, who went on to win the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

. After just one season with the Bruins, Bowness was not brought back, as Boston replaced him with Brian Sutter. Bowness then took a job with the expansion

, becoming that franchise's first head coach.

Ottawa Senators

Bowness became the first head coach of the expansion

when he was hired in 1992. On October 8, 1992, the Senators won the franchise's first game, over the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens 5–3 at the Ottawa Civic Centre. With a lineup perilously thin on talent, wins for Bowness and the Senators were few and far between, and Ottawa finished with a league-worst 10–70–4 record, earning 24 points and a tie for last place in the overall NHL standings with the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertain ...

. Bowness returned to the Senators for the 1993–94 season. Though Ottawa boasted a somewhat stronger lineup and improved its season total by 13 points, the team nonetheless finished in last place in the NHL with 37 points. Under Bowness' leadership, the Senators continued to go through some growing pains but also steadily improved. In the team's lockout-shortened third season, Ottawa finished with a 9–34–5 record in the shortened 48 game schedule, finishing in last place in the league for the third straight season. Bowness began a fourth season with the Senators in 1995–96. After a promising start which saw Ottawa record a 6–5–0 record after 11 games, the club fell into an eight-game losing streak and fell to 6–13–0, and Bowness was relieved of his duties. He was replaced by Dave Allison, who would ultimately win only two of 27 games and be fired mere weeks later.

New York Islanders

Bowness joined the

as an associate coach for the 1996–97 under head coach Mike Milbury. After the Islanders got off to a rough 13–23–9 start, Milbury resigned and Bowness became the new head coach of the Islanders. On January 22, 1997, Bowness coached his first game with New York, leading the team to a huge 8–1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. The Islanders went 16–18–3 under Bowness; however, they failed to reach the playoffs. Bowness returned as the Islanders' head coach for the 1997–98 season; however, the club struggled to a 22–32–9 record, and he was fired, as Mike Milbury replaced him behind the bench.

Phoenix Coyotes

Bowness joined the

(the former Winnipeg Jets) coaching staff as an assistant under

Bobby Francis Robert Emile Francis (born December 5, 1958) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 14 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1982–83 season, though most of ...

for the 1999–2000 season. The Coyotes had a strong season, going 39–31–8–4, earning 90 points and third place in the Pacific Division, sixth in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Coyotes lost in five games to the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (N ...

in the first round. Despite finishing with a 35–27–17–3 record, earning 90 points, the Coyotes failed to reach the playoffs in the 2000–01, as Phoenix finished in ninth place in the Western Conference. The Coyotes rebounded in the 2001–02, going 40–27–9–6 to earn 95 points and finish in sixth place in the Western Conference and reach the postseason. In the playoffs, the Coyotes lost in five games to the San Jose Sharks in the first round. After the season, the Coyotes' head coach Francis won the

Jack Adams Award The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." The league's Coach of the Year award has been presented 47 times to 39 coaches. The winner is selecte ...

for Coach of the Year. Phoenix struggled in the 2002–03 season, going 31–35–11–5, earning 78 points and 11th place in the Western Conference, well out of a playoff position. The club had another tough season in 2003–04, as the Coyotes had a 20–24–15–3 before the team fired Francis and named Bowness as interim head coach. Under Bowness, Phoenix continued to struggle, as they went 2–12–3–3, and finished well out of the postseason once again. With the

2004–05 NHL lockout The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play. The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...

cancelling the season, Bowness returned to the club in 2005–06 as an assistant under new head coach

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

. The Coyotes missed the playoffs once again with a 38–39–5 record, earning 81 points. After the season, Bowness left the club.

Vancouver Canucks

Bowness joined the

as an assistant coach under

Alain Vigneault Alain Vigneault (born May 14, 1961) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach. Vigneault has previously coached the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, as well as in the Quebec Major Ju ...

for the 2006–07 season. In his first season with Vancouver, the team won the Northwest Division with a 49–26–7 record, earning 105 points and third in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Canucks defeated the

in seven games in the first round, however, Vancouver lost in five games to the

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center ...

in the second round. RickBowness2009a

The Canucks struggled to a 39–33–10 record in 2007–08, earning 88 points, and an 11th place finish in the Western Conference, out of the playoffs. Vancouver rebounded in 2008–09, winning the Northwest Division for the second time in three seasons, going 45–27–10, recording 100 points and third place in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Canucks swept the

in four games, however, they lost to the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...

in six games in the second round. The 2009–10 was another very successful season for the Canucks, as the club once again won the Northwest Division with a 49–28–5 record, good for 103 points and third in the Western Conference. Vancouver defeated the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...

in six games, however, they lost to the Blackhawks in six games in the second round for the second consecutive season. The club had a record breaking

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, as the Canucks won the

Presidents' Trophy The Presidents' Trophy (french: Trophée des présidents) is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e. best record) during the NHL regular season. If two teams are tied for the mo ...

with a 54–19–9 record, earning a club record 117 points. In the postseason, Vancouver defeated their rivals, the Blackhawks in seven games, followed by winning a six-game series against the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

to make the Western Conference final. The Canucks easily defeated the San Jose Sharks to clinch a berth in the

2011 Stanley Cup Finals The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) , and the culmination of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins defeated the Western Conference champion Vanc ...

against the Boston Bruins. In the final round, the Canucks built a 3–2 series lead, however, the club lost their last two games to lose the

in seven games. In 2013, after being swept in the first round of the playoffs, Bowness, head coach Vigneault, and assistant coach

Newell Brown Newell Brown (born February 14, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who is an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 8th round (158th ov ...

were all fired from their positions in the Canucks coaching staff on May 22, 2013.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Bowness joined the

as associate coach on June 3, 2013, joining first-year head coach Jon Cooper. His responsibilities included the team's defense and penalty-killing. On February 7, 2015, Bowness coached in his 2000th game in the NHL. On June 14, 2016, Bowness signed a multi-year extension with the Lightning. He was dismissed on May 31, 2018, after general manager

Steve Yzerman Stephen Gregory Yzerman (; born May 9, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player currently serving as executive vice president and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he spent all 22 seasons of his NHL playing ...

called the defense "not quite good enough" during the regular season and the playoffs.

Dallas Stars

Bowness was hired by the

as an assistant coach on June 22, 2018. On December 10, 2019, he was named interim head coach of the Stars after Jim Montgomery was fired due to unprofessional conduct. At the time of his promotion, Bowness had a career record of 123–289–51 as a head coach. He led the Stars to the

Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, french: Finale de la Coupe Stanley) is the National Hockey League's (NHL) championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, North America ...

where they lost to his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in six games. On October 29, 2020, he was named the Stars' 24th head coach in the franchise history. After a disappointing

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

campaign, Bowness guided the Stars back to the postseason in

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

where they lost a close seven-game series to the Calgary Flames. Shortly after Dallas' elimination from the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, and with his contract set to expire, Bowness stepped away from his position on May 20, 2022.

Winnipeg Jets

On July 3, 2022, the modern

franchise named Bowness head coach, replacing

Dave Lowry David John Lowry (born February 14, 1965) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. He is currently an associate coach with the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL from 1985 to 2004. Lowry ...

Coaching record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bowness, Rick 1955 births Living people Arizona Coyotes coaches Atlanta Flames draft picks Atlanta Flames players Boston Bruins coaches Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Canadian ice hockey coaches Canadian ice hockey left wingers Dallas Stars coaches Detroit Red Wings players Ice hockey people from New Brunswick Indianapolis Racers draft picks Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge players New York Islanders coaches Nova Scotia Voyageurs players Ottawa Senators coaches Quebec Remparts players St. Louis Blues players Salt Lake Golden Eagles (CHL) players Sherbrooke Jets players Sportspeople from Moncton Tampa Bay Lightning coaches Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) players Vancouver Canucks coaches Winnipeg Jets coaches Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996) coaches Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players