Rick Bowness

Richard Gary Bowness (born January 25, 1955) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Bowness played right wing for the Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and original Winnipeg Jets and Central Hockey League (CHL), American Hockey League (AHL), and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) teams.

Bowness has been a head coach for the original Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and the second iteration of the Winnipeg Jets.

He has also been an associate coach with the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

As of 2023, he is the last active coach in the NHL who was also a head coach for an NHL team in the 1980s, and the only coach to have led both iterations of the Winnipeg Jets.

Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Bowness began his junior hockey career with the Quebec Remparts of Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 1972–73, where in 30 games, Bowness had two goals and nine points.

In 14 playoff games with Quebec, Bowness had a goal and five points.

Bowness started the 1973–74 season with the Remparts.

He appeared in 34 games, scoring 16 goals and 45 points.

Midway through the season, the Remparts traded Bowness to the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge, with whom he finished the season, scoring nine goals and 26 points in 33 games with the club, helping them to reach the playoffs.

In nine postseason games, Bowness had four goals and eight points.

In 1974–75, Bowness played the entire season with the Bleu Blanc Rouge, appearing in 71 games, scoring 24 goals and 95 points to finish fourth in team scoring.

In eight playoff games, Bowness scored five goals and eight points.

After the season, Bowness was drafted by the Atlanta Flames in the second round, 26th overall in 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, as well as in fifth round, 62nd overall by the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in the 1975 WHA Amateur Draft.

Bowness spent the majority of first professional hockey season in 1975–76 with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League (CHL), where in 64 games, he earned 25 goals and 63 points, and had 160 penalty minutes.

In nine playoff games, Bowness had four goals and seven points.

Bowness also played two games with Nova Scotia Voyageurs of American Hockey League (AHL), recording one assist.

Bowness also made his National Hockey League(NHL) debut during the 1975–76 season, going pointless in five games with the Atlanta Flames.

His 1976–77 season was split between Tulsa and the Flames, as Bowness appeared in 39 games with Tulsa, scoring 15 goals and 30 points.

In eight postseason games with Oilers, Bowness had one assist.

He also played in 28 games with Atlanta Flames, recording four assists.

On August 18, 1977, the Flames traded Bowness to the Detroit Red Wings for cash considerations.

Bowness spent the entire 1977–78 NHL season in the NHL with Detroit, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 61 games, helping the team reach the playoffs.

In four playoff games with Detroit, Bowness was held off the scoresheet as the Red Wings lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the quarter-finals.

He was set to return to the Red Wings for the 1978–79 season, however, on October 10, 1978, Detroit traded Bowness to the St. Louis Blues for cash.

Bowness spent most of the 1978–79 season in the CHL with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, appearing in 48 games with the team, scoring 25 goals and 53 points with Salt Lake.

In ten playoff games with the Golden Eagles, Bowness had five goals and nine points.

Bowness also appeared in 24 games with the St. Louis Blues, scoring a goal and four points with the club.

Bowness once again spent a majority of the 1979–80 with the Golden Eagles.

In 71 games with Salt Lake, Bowness had 25 goals and 71 points to finish fifth in team scoring, while accumulating a team high 135 penalty minutes.

In 13 playoff games with Salt Lake, Bowness had five goals and 14 points.

He also played in 10 games with the Blues, scoring a goal and three points.

On June 13, 1980, the Blues traded Bowness to the Winnipeg Jets for Craig Norwich.

Bowness played in 45 games with the Winnipeg Jets in the 1980–81, scoring eight goals and 25 points, however, the Jets failed to make the playoffs.

Bowness also returned to the Tulsa Oilers of the CHL for 35 games, scoring 12 goals and 32 points.

He spent the entire 1981–82 regular season playing with Tulsa, finishing second on the team in scoring with 34 goals and 87 points in 79 games.

In three playoff games with the Oilers, Bowness had two assists.

Bowness also appeared in a playoff game with the Jets, and was held off the scoresheet.

In the 1982–83 season, Bowness was a player-coach with the Sherbrooke Jets of the American Hockey League (AHL).

In 65 games, Bowness had 17 goals and 48 points with Sherbrooke.