Rick Bowness coaching record: Tracing the legacy of Jets head coach spanning over three decades

Rick Bowness announced his retirement as a coach in the NHL on Monday following the Winnipeg Jets' loss in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

He had been a coach for 40 years, but the 69-year-old announced his retirement from coaching, which he hinted at following Winnipeg's playoff exit.

"For the last seven years, since my last year in Tampa, every year I sit there and I talk to Judy, I talk to the kids, I'll talk to 'Chipper' (Jets chairman Mark Chipman) and 'Chevy' (general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff)," Bowness said May 2, via NHL.com. "I know what I'm going to do. I know what I want to do, but that will come up.

"This game has given us a tremendous lifestyle that we never could have dreamed of as kids. We still love it, still have the passion for it. Listen, as I tell the players, every day in this league is a blessing. We're treated so well. We're in the best hockey league in the world. Never, ever, ever take a day for granted in this league. I never have and I never will. I just love the game. It's been my life."

Bowness had been dealing with health issues as he stepped away from Winnipeg during the regular season. He had hinted at retirement following being let go by Dallas in 2022 but decided to coach again after Winnipeg offered him the job.

---

Rick Bowness' NHL coaching career

Rick Bowness was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 1975 NHL Draft. In the NHL, he played 173 games, for the Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets.

After retiring, Bowness got his first head coaching job for the Sherbrooke Jets, the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. He became an assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets under Barry Long in the 1984–85 season.

After Winnipeg fired Dan Maloney, Rick Bowness was named the head coach as he coached his first NHL game on Feb. 9, 1989, as the Jets lost to the New York Rangers 4–3 at Madison Square Garden. Bowness left after the end of the season.

Bowness then coached in the AHL before becoming the first head coach of the Ottawa Senators in 1992. He spent four seasons there before going to the New York Islanders.

Rick Bowness also coached the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, but never won the Stanley Cup as a coach. He ends his coaching career with a 310-408-48-37 record and is a Jack Adams finalist for Coach of the Year this season.