WINNIPEG — Rick Bowness is going back to his roots.
The Winnipeg Jets announced the hiring of Bowness as their head coach on Sunday after several days of speculation
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that Bowness has signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract.
Bowness signs two-year contract with Winnipeg worth $2.5 million per season https://t.co/gMza2b4ulr
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 3, 2022
The 67-year-old Bowness, who becomes the team’s eighth head coach in franchise history and third since the club moved to Winnipeg, began his coaching career with the Jets, culminating in a 28-game bench stint to close out the 1988–89 season.
The former right wing finished his NHL career with Winnipeg in the 1982 playoffs.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity presented to me by Kevin Cheveldayoff, Mark Chipman and the ownership group to serve as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets,” Bowness said in a statement. “It’s amazing that 40 years after the original Jets gave me my first taste of coaching, I get to return to Manitoba to lead this talented group of players in front of such a passionate fan base.”
Bowness spent most of the past three seasons in the NHL as Dallas’ coach, leading the Stars to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final in the playoff bubble in Edmonton, where the Stars lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Stars lost in overtime in Game 7 to Calgary in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Although Bowness, a native of Moncton, NB, was not under contract this season, he said he was stepping down from the Stars to “allow the organization the opportunity to pursue a different direction at the head coaching position.” The Stars hired Pete DeBoer to replace Bowness last month.
Dave Lowry finished last season as Winnipeg’s interim head coach after current Florida coach Paul Morris stepped down in December.
“We are very excited to hire Rick Bowness as the third head coach of Jets 2.0,” said Cheveldayoff, Winnipeg’s general manager. “Rick brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, both in the coaching ranks of the NHL and as a player and coach in the city of Winnipeg. Rick is a fantastic hockey mind and an even better person, and we are confident he will lead this team to new heights.”
Bowness led the Stars to an 89-62-25 record in 176 regular season games. Under Bowness, Dallas also went 18-16 in the playoffs.
Bowness was drafted in the second round (26th overall) in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Flames. His NHL career spanned 173 games with Atlanta, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets, where he recorded 55 points (18G, 37A) and 191 penalty minutes. Bowness played 45 games for the Jets during the 1980-81 season and he played and coached with the organization for nine seasons through 1988-89.
He spent the 1982-83 season as player-coach of the Jets’ AHL affiliate in Sherbrooke and retired after the season to become an assistant coach with Winnipeg. He worked three seasons as an assistant with the Jets before serving as head coach and general manager of their AHL affiliate, the Moncton Hawks, beginning in 1987-88.
Bowness took over as Winnipeg’s head coach on February 9, 1989 and led them to an 8-17-3 record.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 3, 2022.
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