After a long search that included number one substitute Barry Trotz, opted not to return to one NHL Bench This Season, The Winnipeg Jets Have Hired Rick Bones To become the third head coach in the 2.0 edition of the franchise.
Former Dallas Stars and Jets 1.0 will replace bench boss Dave Lowry, who was not offered the contract after going 26-22-6. Lowry was serving on an interim basis following the December 17 resignation of Paul Morris, who has since accepted the Florida Panthers’ head coaching position.
“We are very excited to appoint Rick Bones as the third head coach of Jets 2.0,” Jets general manager Kevin Sheveldoff said in a news release. “Rick brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the NHL coaching ranks and to the City of Winnipeg as a player and coach. Rick is a brilliant hockey mind and an even better person and we are confident he will take this team to new heights.” .
Bones, 67, returned to Winnipeg after playing 45 games for the Jets during the 1980–81 season, serving as assistant coach from 1984–87 and then as head coach of the Jets for the final 28 games in 1988–89. took charge in The late Dan Maloney was fired.
During his long professional coaching career, which began as a player coach at the AHL’s Sherbrooke in 1982–83, the Moncton-born Bones was the first head coach of his hometown AHL Hawks in their inaugural season in 1987—88—with This was after the Ottawa Senators guided the Boston Bruins to the conference finals in the playoffs a year earlier for their expansion season of 1992–93.
The popular and highly regarded Bones has also held major coaching positions with the NY Islanders and Phoenix Coyote. This was before being promoted to Dallas during the 2019–20 campaign, following the firing of Jim Montgomery by the Stars on December 10, 2019, due to “unprofessional conduct”.
Ironically, Montgomery was considered among the frontrunners for the vacant head coaching position at Winnipeg, along with the likes of Rick Touchett, Pascal Vincent and Scott Arniel.
“Bones,” as he is known in hockey circles, coached Dallas to the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals in the Edmonton Bubble and remained as head coach for the next two seasons. He stepped down on May 20 after Calgary ousted the Stars in seven games during the first round of the playoffs in 2022.
Bones said after the Stars’ official announcement, “After careful consideration with my wife, Judy, we feel it is best that we step down and give the organization the opportunity to move in a different direction in the head coaching position.” “
“I want to thank all the enthusiastic fans and dedicated staff for their support and hard work during my time here. It is an honor for me and my family to represent the Stars and the city of Dallas.
In addition to compiling a record of 212-351-48-28 in 639 games as head coach of the NHL, Bones served as an assistant coach from 2006–13 under Alain Vignot in Vancouver and under John Cooper at Tampa Bay. There has also been a lot of success. 2013-18.
Bones has taken charge of a team that has been rarely achieved in 2021-22. The Jets went 39–32–11 and finished in sixth place in the Central Division, having missed the playoffs for the seventh time after 11 seasons as the franchise relocated from Atlanta.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to serve as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets by Kevin Sheveldoff, Mark Chipman and the ownership group,” Bones said in a team news release. “It’s amazing that forty years after the original Jets gave me my first taste of coaching, I had the opportunity to return to Manitoba to lead this talented group of players in front of such an enthusiastic fan base.”
It is likely that there may be some significant changes to the existing roster before the training camp starts during the third full week of September.
An official news conference to introduce the Bones to the media and fans is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Monday in Winnipeg, ahead of the start of NHL Entry Draft week in Montreal.
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