Rick Bowness
Last active NHL coach from the 1980s; most games coached in league history.
Rick Bowness, a Canadian born in Moncton, New Brunswick, currently serves as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is both a former NHL player and a longtime coach. As of 2026, he is the last active NHL head coach who also held that role in the 1980s, and he is the only person to have coached both the original and the current Winnipeg Jets franchises. His combined total of 2,726 games as an NHL head or assistant coach is the highest in league history.
Bowness began his junior hockey career with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL in 1972–73, posting two goals and nine points in 30 games, plus a goal and five points in 14 playoff contests. The following season, he started with the Remparts, scoring 16 goals and 45 points in 34 games before being traded to the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge. There, he notched nine goals and 26 points in 33 regular-season games, adding four goals and eight points in nine playoff appearances. In 1974–75, he played the full season with Montreal, recording 24 goals and 95 points in 71 games, finishing fourth in team scoring, and adding five goals and eight points in eight playoff games. He was selected 26th overall by the Atlanta Flames in the 1975 NHL amateur draft and also taken 62nd overall by the Indianapolis Racers in the 1975 WHA amateur draft.
His first professional season, 1975–76, was mostly spent with the Tulsa Oilers of the CHL, where he had 25 goals and 63 points with 160 penalty minutes in 64 games, plus four goals and seven points in nine playoff games. He also played two games with the AHL’s Nova Scotia Voyageurs, recording one assist, and made his NHL debut with the Atlanta Flames, going pointless in five games. The next season, he split time between Tulsa (15 goals, 30 points in 39 games, with one assist in eight playoff games) and Atlanta (four assists in 28 games). In August 1977, the Flames traded him to the Detroit Red Wings for cash.
Bowness played the entire 1977–78 season with Detroit, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 61 games, helping the team reach the playoffs, though he was held pointless in four postseason games as the Red Wings lost to the Montreal Canadiens. In October 1978, Detroit traded him to the St. Louis Blues for cash.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1955-01-25
- Birth Place
- Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 185
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- Played For
- Atlanta Flames / Detroit Red Wings / St. Louis Blues / Winnipeg Jets
- League Coach
- NHL
- Team Coach
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Coached For
- Winnipeg Jets (original) / Boston Bruins / Ottawa Senators / New York Islanders / Phoenix Coyotes / Dallas Stars / Winnipeg Jets
- Draft
- 26th overall
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Bowness began his NHL playing career after being drafted by the Atlanta Flames in 1975. He played for the Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, and original Winnipeg Jets, with his most productive NHL season coming in 1977–78 with Detroit, where he scored eight goals and 19 points in 61 games. He transitioned to coaching as a player-coach with the Sherbrooke Jets of the AHL in 1982–83, then became an assistant coach for the original Winnipeg Jets in 1984–85. He served as head coach of the original Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and the current Winnipeg Jets before taking over the Columbus Blue Jackets. His coaching career includes a notable incident in 1985–86 when he was fined $500 and suspended for three games after punching Calgary forward Tim Hunter during a brawl.
Reader's Guide
Rick Bowness's significance lies in his extraordinary longevity and breadth of experience in the NHL. As of 2026, he is the last active head coach who also coached in the 1980s, bridging multiple eras of the league. His 2,726 games as an NHL head or assistant coach are the most in league history, a testament to his sustained presence in professional hockey. He is uniquely the only coach to have led both the original and current Winnipeg Jets franchises. Bowness's career path—from a journeyman player to a coach who has helmed eight different NHL teams—reflects a deep institutional knowledge of the sport. His tenure includes both rebuilding clubs and playoff contenders, and his ability to adapt across decades and organizations underscores his resilience and understanding of the game. His legacy is defined not by championships but by unmatched service and adaptability in the NHL coaching ranks.
Did You Know?
- He played for the Detroit Red Wings in the 1977–78 season, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 61 games.
- Bowness is the only coach to have led both iterations of the Winnipeg Jets.
More in Detroit Red Wings Players 1-24
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