Rick Bowness walked off the ice following the Winnipeg Jets’ final loss of the season, which eliminated them from the playoffs, unhappy with his performance and how his team played, and it dawned on him that it should be the final NHL game he coaches.
“Coaches have always told me ... they’ve always said you’ll know it’s time,” Bowness said. “It just hit me then: It’s time.”
Bowness announced his retirement Monday after 38 NHL seasons, a well-respected career that included leading the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and more time spent behind the bench than anyone else in league history.
“When I leave, I just want to be remembered,” Bowness told reporters at a news conference in Winnipeg, choking back tears. “I just love the game, and I respected the game. I love this league. I respect the league.”
Health issues of his own and his wife, Judy, played a role in his decision, which went beyond disappointment over losing to Colorado in five games. After all, Bowness did a good enough job the rest of the time to be a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year for the first time for leading the Jets to a franchise-record 52 wins and a second consecutive postseason appearance in as many seasons on the job.
White Sox recall Mike Clevinger from Triple
Ruapehu Alpine Lifts gets $7m bailout from government
How Christopher Nolan couldn't have won his first Oscar without his family's support
Vanessa Hudgens displays her baby bump in a tight
The headphones that could ease tinnitus with a radical new treatment
Georgia Steel risks an awkward run
Enjoy last night's solar eclipse? How to tell if it could have PERMANENTLY damaged your eyes
The foods that cancer experts want you to stop eating
Revealed: The '18 DEMANDS' Muslim Vote group issued to Keir Starmer after dozens of pro
Nasa vs Nessie: Space agency asked to assist new hunt...