Changes are coming in the big state of Texas. After suffering a first-round loss to the Calgary Flames, Rick Bowness is stepping down from coaching, effective immediately. The hunt for a new coach is on as many options exist.
**Breaking News** 🚨📰@DallasStars HC Rick Bowness will step away effects immediately, Asst Coaches also will not be returning.@espn @NHL #HockeyTwitter pic.twitter.com/6iO55toXfs
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) May 20, 2022
Rick Bowness Stepping Down
Many were speculating if Bowness would return behind the Dallas Stars bench after the Game 7 loss to Calgary. Turns out he will not be. Rick Bowness, 67 years old, has coached many games at the NHL level (as a head coach and an assistant). Before coaching the Stars, Bowness had coaching stints with the Boston Bruins in 1992-92 and followed that up with stints with the Ottawa Senators, the New York Islanders, and the Phoenix Coyotes. He also has served as an assistant and an associate for the Vancouver Canucks and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bowness joined the Dallas Stars as an assistant Coach in 2018. Once Jim Montgomery was relieved of his coaching duties, Bowness took over the team as the head coach. And success followed once the change was made.
Once he took the reigns, Bowness turned the Stars into a more competitive team. A defence-first mind coach brought structure and stability to the lineup. Bowness finishes his tenure behind the Dallas bench with a record of 89-62-25. Dallas owned a points percentage of .577, which ranked 16th overall in the league since December 2019.
Bowness took the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020, which saw them lose to the heavily favoured Tampa Bay Lightning. Bowness would sign an extension for two more years following that playoff run. In the three years behind the bench, Bowness has taken the Stars to the postseason twice and has a postseason record of 18-16.
There is a slew of candidates out there on the open market. The Stars are an attractive destination. The team has a young core in place and boasts young guns in Miro Heiskanen, Jake Oettinger, Roope Hintz, and Jason Robertson, while also having Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin as veterans.
Main Photo:
