Jan 13, 2026, 03:32 PM ET<\/p>\n
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rick Bowness was enjoying time on his boat in Florida when he received a call from Don Waddell on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Bowness thought the call from the Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a> president of hockey operations and general manager was about a player Bowness once coached. It turned out to be something else — a head coaching offer.<\/p>\n Bowness was on the ice at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday morning, conducting practice after accepting Waddell’s offer to take over as head coach. Bowness doesn’t have much time to get acquainted with his new team as the Blue Jackets host the Calgary Flames<\/a> on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n This move marks Bowness’ return behind an NHL bench. He had retired in the spring of 2024, ending a two-year stint with the Winnipeg Jets<\/a>. Bowness explained on Tuesday that he stepped down because of health issues he and his wife, Judy, were experiencing.<\/p>\n The 70-year-old hockey lifer has coached both iterations of the Jets, as well as Boston, Ottawa, the New York Islanders<\/a>, Phoenix and Dallas. He took over the Stars during the 2019-20 season and led them to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2020 pandemic bubble.<\/p>\n Even though Bowness becomes the league’s oldest head coach and turns 71 on Jan. 25, he says he is ready and rested for another opportunity.<\/p>\n “I feel a whole lot better. Judy’s doing great, and so that opened the door again,” Bowness said. “I did want to coach again.”<\/p>\n Bowness replaces Dean Evason, who was in his second year and became the first NHL coach fired this season. Assistant coach Steve McCarthy was also fired.<\/p>\n Columbus is last in the East with a 19-19-7 record, seven points out of a playoff spot with 12 games until the Olympic break.<\/p>\n Last season, the Blue Jackets were the feel-good story, coming within two points of the final playoff spot after the death of star forward Johnny Gaudreau<\/a> in August 2024. During that emotional year, Evason was a Coach of the Year candidate as he guided the team to a 23-point improvement.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks<\/p>\n 2 Related<\/p>\n