The Dallas Stars have announced that Rick Bowness will not return as head coach when his contract expires. The contracts of his assistants John Stevens, Derek Laxdal and Todd Nelson will not be renewed.
The Dallas Stars have announced that Rick Bowness will not return as head coach when his contract expires. The contracts of his assistants John Stevens, Derek Laxdal and Todd Nelson will not be renewed.
Bowness has been the Stars head coach since October 2020, serving as the team’s assistant coach from the 2018-19 season and interim head coach since Dec. 10, 2019. He coached the Stars to the Stanley Cup final in September 2020, when they lost six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a long discussion with my wife Judy, we believed it would be more desirable to relinquish our place and give the organization a chance to go in a different direction in the position of head coach.Bowness said in a statement.
In 176 season games under Bowness, the Stars compiled an 89-62-25 record. They finished fourth in the Central Division this season, then were eliminated in seven games by the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs.
Rick is one of the most respected and adored individuals to coach the NHL, Stars general manager Jim Nill said. His commitment and dedication to the game of hockey, and his impact on countless players, coaches and support staff during his five decades in the league is unparalleled.
Bowness, 67, has 2,562 games behind the bench of an NHL team as head coach or assistant, a record in league history. He is one of three coaches in league history to have served as head coach for five different decades, along with Hall of Famers Scotty Bowman and Pat Quinn.
Source: Radio-Canada
