Jets officially name Bowness head coach

The Winnipeg Jets have officially appointed Rick Bowness as the eighth head coach in franchise history, and third since the team relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season.

“We’re very excited to hire Rick Bowness as the third head coach of Jets 2.0,” said Jets General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. “Rick brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, both in the NHL coaching ranks and as a player and coach in the city of Winnipeg. Rick is a fantastic hockey mind and an even better person and we’re confident he will lead this team to new heights.”

Bowness, 67, most recently served as head coach of the Dallas Stars from 2019 to the end of the 2021-22 season, leading the team to a 89-62-25 record in 176 games. The Stars went 18-16 in the playoffs, highlighted by a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.

“I’m tremendously excited for the opportunity presented to me by Kevin Cheveldayoff, Mark Chipman and the ownership group to serve as the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets,” said Bowness. “It’s amazing that forty 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 has a 212-351-76 record as an nhl head coach over parts of 12 seasons with the Jets (1988-89) , Boston Bruins (1991-92), Ottawa Senators (1992-96), the New York Islanders (1996-98), Phoenix Coyotes (2003-04), and Stars (2019-22).