Rick Bowness has agreed to a contract extension to remain as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, TSN reported Thursday morning.
The Blue Jackets scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon with general manager Don Waddell and Bowness.
TSN’s report comes two days after Bowness blasted his own team after it missed out on the playoffs following a 2-7-1 record in its final 10 games.
“These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them. How can you go out and play like that? I should have done this a month ago. But this is why we are where we are,” Bowness said after Columbus dropped a 2-1 decision to the Washington Capitals.
“This is why we’re out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. You have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game. I don’t care. Show up and compete.”
Bowness, 71, replaced Dean Evason on Jan. 12 and guided Columbus to a 21-11-5 record.
Bowness is 331-419-42 with 48 ties in 840 career games with eight different teams — including both versions of the Winnipeg Jets. His first stint as head coach came in 1988-89 with the original Winnipeg Jets franchise after they fired Dan Maloney; Bowness went 8-17-3 as interim head coach.
Bowness led the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 as interim head coach. The Stars lost to Tampa Bay in six games. He also coached the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and then-Phoenix Coyotes.
As a forward, Bowness recorded 55 points (18 goals, 37 assists) in 173 NHL games from 1975-81 with the then-Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Jets.
