'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDAREAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAf/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAQT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAIXVA+f/xAAhEAABBAEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEERIABQYTFCJCUf/aAAgBAQABPwBCCDxuY5hGucy3HHpqSm3gXktqKVlRXRe2okjbhiso7sBvOICZOd+o5r9qtf/EABkRAAMAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAhEhUf/aAAgBAgEBPwBOavmBXCW5P//EABoRAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEiEBEVH/2gAIAQMBAT8AtEvWZEW6f//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On Monday, Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness announced his retirement following the team's first-round playoff defeat to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche won in five games to advance to the next round.
After 38 seasons, which includes the last two with the Jets, he departs the game with a 310-408-48-37 record, including a 28-31 mark in the playoffs. Although Bowness was only a head coach for 14 seasons, he has been part of an NHL coaching staff since joining the original Winnipeg Jets in 1982.
He served with both Jets franchises, the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Dallas Stars.
Now that Bowness has stepped down, Winnipeg's management must find his replacement, and more than a handful of experienced bench bosses are looking for a new job this summer.
Five best head coach replacements for the Winnipeg Jets
#5 Bruce Boudreau
Bruce Boudreau may or may not be looking for a job, but at 68 and a coaching career of 1,087 games, he'd be a great selection to lead the Jets for a few seasons.
Outside of the first five seasons, where he was the head coach of the Washington Capitals, Boudreau spent the last 11 seasons in the Western Conference, guiding the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and the Vancouver Canucks.
He has had Alex Ovechkin, Ryan Getzlaf and Elias Pettersson on his bench and would be a good mentor for Vezina Trophy finalist Connor Hellebuyck.
Interestingly, Boudreau has had one losing season (18-25-3) as an NHL head coach, coming in 2022-23, when the Canucks released him in January. He's 617-342-128 lifetime in the regular season and 43-47 in the playoffs.
#4 Todd McLellan
Todd McLellan is an experienced former head coach who recently led the Los Angeles Kings from 2021 to 2024 before being let go at the All-Star break.
In 16 seasons as an NHL head coach, McLellan has never coached outside the Pacific Division, guiding the San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and most recently, the Kings.
With extensive intimate knowledge of the Western Conference, he would be a solid replacement for Bowness, based on familiarity alone. After 1,144 games, McLellan has a .581 win percentage, thanks to a 598-412-134 record, including 42-46 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
#3 Craig Berube
Craig Berube coached in just seven playoff games during his first tenure as an NHL head coach with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013 to 2015.
After being away from the league for four years, he returned to orchestrate one of the greatest turnarounds of all time, leading the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019 after being in the basement of the standings.
In 2023-24, Berube was relieved of his duties after 28 games, but the Blues' undoing wasn't his fault, as the management had ripped apart the core that won the title in 2019.
The former NHL veteran (1,054 games) has coached 543 games, earning a 281-190-72 record, and has gone 27-31 in the playoffs.
#2 Jay Woodcoft
Jay Woodcroft had a great run with the Edmonton Oilers before losing his spot behind the bench in 2023-24. With stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, he had a .643 win percentage in 133 games with a 79-41-13 record.
In 2021-22, Woodcroft led the Oilers to the Western Conference Final for the first time since 2006 and was at the helm when McDavid had his historic 153-point season in 2022-23.
Considering his experience with stars, Woodcroft would be a suitable replacement for Bowness, who employs Mark Scheifele, Josh Morrissey and Kyle Connor.
#1 Sheldon Keefe
The Toronto Maple Leafs could be making a coaching change, allowing 43-year-old Sheldon Keefe to pursue other NHL head coaching opportunities, with the Jets job now on the board.
Although there are no guarantees that Keefe will be relieved of his duty in Toronto, there's no guarantee either that the Jets won't find a replacement for Bowness before anyone else becomes available this offseason.
After winning a Calder Cup championship with the Toronto Marlies, Keefe has been guiding the Maple Leafs since 2019 and has compiled a 212-97-40 record in 349 games, with one playoff series win.
