Concerning news for one of the longest-tenured coaches in the National Hockey League.
The Winnipeg Jets have announced that head coach Rick Bowness will not be behind the bench for his team’s game on Tuesday night against the New York Rangers. On social media, the team said Bowness left the team in New York, and returned to Winnipeg for a minor medical procedure, and will return once his condition improves.
In the meantime, associate coach Scott Arniel will serve as interim head coach until Bowness returns.
Tuesday night’s game against the Rangers is the second game of the Jets’ five-game trip through the Eastern Conference, which ends next Sunday against the Washington Capitals. It is unclear if Bowness will be able to return by then.
This is not the first time Bowness will be off the Jets’ bench this season. Back in October, he took a leave of absence after his wife had a seizure, and ended up returning right after American Thanksgiving. The former Ottawa Senators coach missed 13 games, in which Winnipeg went 9-2-2, with Arniel serving as the interim coach as well.
The 69-year-old is the only coach in the league’s history to have coached in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. This past Sunday, he picked up his 300th regular-season win as head coach when the Jets beat the Columbus Blue Jackets. Bowness has a career record of 300-403-36 with 48 ties, including a 27-27 record in the playoffs.
The Moncton, New Brunswick native has made stops with the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Dallas Stars, coaching the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020.
The Jets (43-19-5) are currently battling for the top spot in the Central Division. Heading into Tuesday’s action, they are tied with the Colorado Avalance and Stars for first place, but Winnipeg has games in hand on both rivals.
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