01/12/26 04:11:00
Printable Page
01/12 16:08 CST Columbus Blue Jackets fire coach Dean Evason, hire Rick Bowness
to replace him
Columbus Blue Jackets fire coach Dean Evason, hire Rick Bowness to replace him
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) --- The Columbus Blue Jackets fired coach Dean Evason and
named hockey-lifer Rick Bowness as his replacement on Monday.
Evason is the first NHL coach fired this season. General manager Don Waddell
announced the abrupt change with his team sitting in last place in the Eastern
Conference 45 games into the season with a record of 19-19-7.
"This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we
are not performing at a level that meets our expectations," Waddell said. "We
all share in that responsibility, me included, and while this was not a
decision that was made lightly, it is one that needed to be made at this time.
Dean did a tremendous job last year under extremely difficult circumstances,
and I thank him for that."
Assistant Steve McCarthy, who had been with the organization for nearly a
decade, was also fired.
Bowness is back in the league after he retired in the spring of 2024, ending a
stint with the Winnipeg Jets. Bowness, who coached Dallas to the Stanley Cup
Final in the 2020 pandemic bubble, turns 71 on Jan. 25.
"Rick Bowness is a tremendous coach with invaluable experience and knowledge,
and he will bring a steadiness to our team at an important juncture in our
season," Waddell said. "He is a good communicator whose teams play with
structure, are sound defensively and we believe he is the right person to bring
out the best in our group."
Bowness during his lengthy career has been head coach for seven different
teams, dating to the original Jets in 1988. He did some broadcasting with TNT
since stepping away from his most recent job in Winnipeg.
Evason was just past the midway point of his second season in charge of the
Blue Jackets. Waddell's first order of business upon becoming GM was to fire
then-coach Pascal Vincent and put Evason behind the bench.
___
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
|
