With one of their original targets snapped up when the Devils named Sunny Mehta as their new General Manager this week, Toronto’s GM search continues. Several candidates have already interviewed for the position with more interviews expected in the coming days. In the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Islanders assistant GM Ryan Bowness is believed to have interviewed for the position.
The 42-year-old has a lot of experience in various off-ice capacities, having worked in the NHL since 2009 when he was a hockey ops assistant with Atlanta. He continued on in that capacity when the team moved to Winnipeg, then spent three more years as a pro scout. Bowness then joined Pittsburgh in that same capacity for three years before getting another promotion, this time putting him in charge of the pro scouting department.
An on-the-rise executive, Bowness received his next promotion three years later in 2022 when he joined Ottawa as an assistant GM while also being in charge of their AHL team in Belleville. He was elevated to an associate GM position for 2024-25 but the Sens opted not to renew his contract after the season. Ten days later, he joined the Islanders in his current role.
So far, the Maple Leafs have interviewed a mixture of experienced and first-time candidates. Mike Gillis and John Chayka have experience running a team while internal options Brandon Pridham and Ryan Hardy would be first-timers but have familiarity with the organization. Bowness joins Mehta (now off the market) as external first-time candidates with that list likely to grow in the near future.