The Winnipeg Jets will have Rick Bowness back in the fold on Tuesday
The Winnipeg Jets will be back operating under head coach Rick Bowness' direction on Tuesday.
Having missed the past week of action due to what the team called a 'minor medical procedure', the veteran bench boss will be back in the fold for Winnipeg's home game vs. Edmonton on Tuesday.
"Just the body reminding me that I am 69, not 39," Bowness joked on Tuesday.
Associate coach Scott Arniel took over behind the bench for the second time this season, however he did not fare quite as well as his 9-2-2 record over his initial stretch of time in October and November. Arniel previously was called into action when Bowness left the club to be with his wife, Judy, who had suffered a seizure.
"I got a phone call the other night, two nights ago, with news on some issues," Arniel said last week. "They know what it is. He's going to go home and get looked at. He might even be back at the end of the trip. We'll see how things work out. It's serious but it wasn't something that was going to be extended long term. We're just happy that [the doctors] found out what it is, and they'll get it looked after and get it worked on."
Bowness joined the Jets on Tuesday morning for the team's pre-game skate, and will be back on the bench later in the evening.
Winnipeg went 1-3-0 without Bowness, two which Arniel saw his record drop to 10-5-2 on the year as acting head coach.
The 69-year-old Bowness is in the second year of a two-year deal signed in the summer of 2022 - which has the mutual option for the addition of a third season based on team success and overall feel between coach and management.
He has a 301-403-36-48 record in 788 games over 14 NHL seasons as a head coach. Bowness holds the NHL record for the most total games spent behind the bench (as an assistant, associate and head coach, combined).
Winnipeg is set to face the Oilers on Tuesday. That game will feature a 7:00 PM central start time and can be viewed live on TSN.