The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Monday that they have relieved Dean Evason of his duties as head coach of the club and named Rick Bowness as his replacement. The Blue Jackets also dismissed assistant coach Steve McCarthy.
“This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we are not performing at a level that meets our expectations,” general manager Don Waddell said via the team’s press release. “We all share in that responsibility, me included, and while this was not a decision that was made lightly it is one that needed to be made at this time. Dean did a tremendous job last year under extremely difficult circumstances and I thank him for that. I also want to thank Steve for his commitment to our club over the past five years.”
Evason took over prior to the 2024-25 season, and he led the Jackets to a 40-33-9 mark that saw them fall short of making the postseason. The team is currently 19-19-7, which has them tied for last place in the Eastern Conference.
A 61-year-old native of Manitoba, Evason previously served as the bench boss for the Minnesota Wild from 2019 through 2024.
Bowness brings significant experience behind the bench to the role. From 2022 to 2024, he coached the Winnipeg Jets, going 98-57-9 before the parties parted ways. He also had a three-year stint with the Dallas Stars from 201 to 2022 in which he went 89-62-25. Notably, he led the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.
“Rick Bowness is a tremendous coach with invaluable experience and knowledge, and he will bring a steadiness to our team at an important juncture in our season,” Waddell said. “He is a good communicator whose teams play with structure, are sound defensively and we believe he is the right person to bring out the best in our group.”
Bowness will make his debut with his new team on Tuesday night on home ice when Columbus welcomes in the Calgary Flames. The Jackets will then host Vancouver on Thursday before hitting the road to take on Pittsburgh on Saturday.
