Jets' Head Coach Rick Bowness Announces Retirement

Rick Bowness has officially announced his retirement from coaching.

The Winnipeg Jets have officially announced the retirement of head coach Rick Bowness. 

The news came on Monday morning, just days after Bowness met with Jets front office staff and management in his year-end meeting.

Bowness, 69, had just completed the final season of a two-year contract signed in the summer of 2022. He had a club option for the 2024-25 year, meaning he and the team could mutually agree to continue the contract for one more year at the same rate.

When speaking last week at his year-end media availability, Bowness said he had made up his mind about his future, but did not give any hints at what that was.

Half a week later, the news came.

After 38 years in the big leagues, Bowness goes out with a 310-408-37-48 record over time with the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars and most recently the Jets.

He went 98 57-9 with Winnipeg over the past two years, but was unable to get the Jets out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Bowness is a finalist for the 2023-24 Jack Adams Award, given to the league's top coach following the regular season of play.

Serving on the bench of an NHL club in 2,726 games Bowness holds the title of most ever in NHL history. He is one of just three men to ever coach in five different decades. 

Winnipeg will now begin the search for its next head coach. Associate coach Scott Arniel is certainly high on the list, but the Jets will exhaust all options before naming their next bench boss.