The Dallas Stars have officially removed the interim tag from Rick Bowness. Stars general manager Jim Nill announced Bowness will serve as the team’s 24th head coach.
Bones is BACK 🦴
We have officially named Rick Bowness as our 24th head coach in franchise history
📝 https://t.co/DpmUm2VbRY pic.twitter.com/6re74fC0MY
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 29, 2020
Dallas Stars Officially Name Rick Bowness Head Coach
Bowness became the interim coach on December 10, 2019, when the Stars fired then-coach Jim Montgomery over unprofessional behaviour. Under Bowness, the Stars amassed a 20-13-5 record over 38 games. Bowness then led the Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Bowness initially joined the Stars as an assistant coach in June of 2018. By being named the Stars head coach, Bowness joins some elite company. He joins Hall of Fame coaches Scotty Bowman and Pat Quinn to be the only three coaches to be a head coach in five different decades.
Bowness has been a head coach for parts of 10 season during his NHL career. Bowness was the head coach for the Winnipeg Jets (1988-89), Boston Bruins (1991-92), Ottawa Senators (1992-96), New York Islanders (1996-98), and Phoneix Coyotes (2003-04).
Prior to joining the Stars, Bowness served as an associate coach with the Lightning for four seasons. The well-travelled Moncton, New Brunswick native has coached (as either a head coach or assistant) an NHL record 2,425 games.
Stars Keep Their Man
The Stars are rewarding Bowness for keeping the team successful during a difficult situation.
“The Stars are very excited to officially announce Rick as the team’s head coach,” Nill said. “After being called upon in a difficult situation, Rick stepped into the interim head coaching role seamlessly and used his unmatched experience to lead the team to a successful second half of the season and a spot in the Stanley Cup Final. Watching the team throughout our playoff experience, you really saw the team become his. His ability to connect with our players and our staff is remarkable, and it leads to a situation where everyone is competing for him because they want to see him win.”
For his part, Bowness is looking forward to guiding the Stars to their second Stanley Cup.
“My wife Judy and I are thrilled to have this opportunity to continue our work here in Dallas,” said Bowness. “This team is very special for me, that time in Edmonton was unlike any experience I have ever had in hockey, and it brought us together as a staff and as a team. We had a great run to the Stanley Cup Final, but we have some unfinished business left and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to build on what we started.”
