Rick Bowness walked off the ice following the Winnipeg Jets91裸聊视频� final loss of the season, which eliminated them from the playoffs, unhappy with his performance and how his team played, and it dawned on him that it should be the final NHL game he coaches.

91裸聊视频淐oaches have always told me 91裸聊视频� they91裸聊视频檝e always said you91裸聊视频檒l know it91裸聊视频檚 time,91裸聊视频� Bowness said. 91裸聊视频淚t just hit me then: It91裸聊视频檚 time.91裸聊视频�

Bowness announced his retirement Monday after 38 NHL seasons, a that included leading the Dallas Stars to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and more time spent behind the bench than anyone else in league history.

91裸聊视频淲hen I leave, I just want to be remembered,91裸聊视频� Bowness told reporters at a news conference in Winnipeg, choking back tears. 91裸聊视频淚 just love the game, and I respected the game. I love this league. I respect the league.91裸聊视频�

Health issues of his own and his wife, Judy, played a role in his decision, which went beyond disappointment over losing to Colorado in five games. After all, Bowness did a good enough job the rest of the time to be a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year for the first time for leading the Jets to a franchise-record 52 wins and a second consecutive postseason appearance in as many seasons on the job.

Bowness was planning to retire in the summer of 2022 before Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff called to try to persuade him to take one more shot at winning the Stanley Cup. He didn91裸聊视频檛 return that call right away but eventually decided to give it a go.

91裸聊视频淲e asked them to put their lives on hold to come here to Winnipeg to help give us, this group, a different voice, a different path, some strong structure,91裸聊视频� Cheveldayoff said. 91裸聊视频淛ust really wanted to thank Rick for the two years that he came and gave us here.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲e asked them to put their lives on hold to come here to Winnipeg to help give us, this group, a different voice, a different path, some strong structure,91裸聊视频� Cheveldayoff said. 91裸聊视频淛ust really wanted to thank Rick for the two years that he came and gave us here.91裸聊视频�

Bowness at 69 was the oldest head coach in the league. Word of his retirement led to plenty of well-wishes from those he has gotten to know around the game for several decades.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 hearing today from guys I played with, and that91裸聊视频檚 a long time ago, and from all over the world 91裸聊视频� just people you coached,91裸聊视频� Bowness said. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e over in Europe and I91裸聊视频檓 getting texts from them. It91裸聊视频檚 the friendships and the people you meet.91裸聊视频�

The Moncton, New Brunswick, native worked 2,726 games as a coach in some capacity, the vast majority of it as an assistant across numerous roles dating to 1984. He is one of just three to coach across five decades, along with Hall of Famers Scotty Bowman and Pat Quinn.

91裸聊视频淎 lifetime in hockey and obviously well-respected by all of the coaching peers but also the players he91裸聊视频檚 had an effect on over their careers, especially the young defensemen in the league,91裸聊视频� said Peter DeBoer, who succeeded Bowness as Stars coach. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a who91裸聊视频檚-who list of the last 20 years. Great career, and I feel fortunate to have coached against him, and I just want him to enjoy his retirement and congratulate him on a great run.91裸聊视频�

It was not immediately clear if associate coach Scott Arniel, who filled in for several games this season when Bowness was away for personal reasons, would be considered as a potential successor.

That was Bowness many times, taking over as a midseason replacement for the original Winnipeg Jets, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and then the Stars in late 2019. He also coached the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators and had lengthy stints as an assistant for the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning that included long playoff runs.

The closest Bowness got to the Cup was Game 7 of the 2011 final with Vancouver on Alain Vigneault91裸聊视频檚 staff. As a head coach, his Dallas team fell two victories short of the Cup against Tampa Bay while playing in the Edmonton 91裸聊视频渂ubble91裸聊视频� in 2020.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not winning the Stanley Cup: It91裸聊视频檚 always been important, but over the years as you age, you hope you have an impact on your players91裸聊视频� lives off the ice, on the ice and that91裸聊视频檚 been more important to me over the last 10 years,91裸聊视频� Bowness said.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e had some runs at the Stanley Cup and things happen that are out of your control with injuries and everything, and then you lose the Cup and, OK, things happen out of your control. What is in your control every day is the impact that you can have on your players on and off the ice.91裸聊视频�

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