Blue Jackets part ways with head coach Dean Evason, assistant coach Steve McCarthy, name Rick Bowness head coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets have relieved head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy of their duties with the club and hired veteran National Hockey League coach Rick Bowness as the club’s head coach, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today.

“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. 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,” said Waddell. “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.”

Bowness, 70, most recently served as the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets from 2022-24, leading the club to a 98-57-9 record (.625 pct.) in 164 games and back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He spent the previous two-plus seasons with the Dallas Stars, compiling a 89-62-25 mark (.577) in 176 games from 2019-22. After being named interim head coach in December 2019, he led the club to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost a six-game series to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his final season in Dallas, he led the Stars to a 46-30-6 mark in 2021-22.

“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,” said Waddell. “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.”

The Moncton, New Brunswick native has compiled a 310-408-48-37 record (W-L-T-OT) in 803 games as an NHL head coach or interim head coach with the Jets, Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, including a 187-119-0-34 mark in 340 games between 2019-24. He began his coaching career as a player-coach of the American Hockey League’s Sherbrooke Jets in 1982-83 before joining Winnipeg as an assistant coach from 1984-87. He served as the head coach of the AHL’s Moncton Hawks from 1987-91 and had a 28-game stint as Winnipeg’s interim head coach during the 1988-89 campaign.

He spent the 1991-92 season as head coach of the Bruins, guiding the club to a 36-32-12 record and playoff berth before being named head coach of the expansion Senators in 1992. He led the club for three-plus seasons before joining the Islanders as associate coach in 1996. He was named head coach during that campaign and remained in the position through the 1997-98 season. He then spent six years with the Coyotes from 1999-06, including a stint as interim head coach in 2003-04. Over the next 15 seasons, he served on the coaching staffs of the Vancouver Canucks (2006-13), Lightning (2013-18) and Stars (2018-19).

“I appreciate the opportunity to come to Columbus because it is a good organization with good people and this is a team that I think I can help improve,” said Bowness. “I’m thankful to Don and (Blue Jackets President) Mike Priest and I’m really excited to work with our players and coaching staff to help get us where we want to go.”

A forward, Bowness was selected by the Atlanta Flames in the second round, 26th overall, in the 1975 NHL Draft. He played professionally for nine seasons from 1975-84 and collected 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points with 191 penalty minutes in 173 career NHL games with the Atlanta Flames, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Jets between 1975-81.

Evason, 61, led the Blue Jackets to a 59-52-16 record in 127 games behind the bench since joining the club on July 22, 2024. Columbus posted a 40-33-9 mark a season ago and is currently in eighth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 19-19-7. In 378 games as an NHL head coach, he has compiled a record of 206-129-43 with the Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild.

McCarthy joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant coach in September 2021 after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Monsters, the club’s AHL affiliate. Prior to his coaching career, McCarthy played 18 professional seasons as a defenseman, including 2015-16 when he helped the Monsters capture the AHL’s Calder Cup championship.

The Blue Jackets return to action on Tuesday when they host the Calgary Flames. Game time from Nationwide Arena is 7 p.m. ET with live coverage on FanDuel Sports Network beginning with Blue Jackets Live at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game can also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including 97.1 The Fan in Columbus, and online at BlueJackets.com.