After ending last season by ripping into the Columbus Blue Jackets, Rick Bowness’ second year as head coach got off to a tough start Thursday.
Bowness told reporters that he was not happy with “a couple of guys” who showed up with sub-par conditioning as training opened.
“Most of the guys are in great shape. There are a couple of guys that I’m not happy with, and right now they’re protected by the three-hour rule. When the three-hour rule is up, then we’ll take some steps to correct that,” Bowness said.
“It’s not just the correspondence at the end of the summer. It’s the meetings at the end of the season. We were very clear with what my expectations were. For me, that’s more important than the summer correspondence. End-of-the-year meetings, me and you sitting there talking — let’s be clear on the message.
“It’s not that bad, but it’s not where I want it to be. So, we’ll fix it.”
It is yet another negative note for the Blue Jackets who are coming off a turbulent off-season that saw star defenceman Zach Werenski briefly on the trade block, winger Kirill Marchenko’s future become a topic of speculation and an injury to goaltender Elvis Merzlikins that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Columbus has also opened camp without top centre Adam Fantilli who remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
Bowness signed a one-year extension to return to the team last April just days after laying into his players’ effort level to close the season.
“These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them. How can you go out and play like that? I should have done this a month ago. But this is why we are where we are,” an exasperated Bowness remarked after a 2-1 home loss to the Washington Capitals. “This is why we’re out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. You have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game. I don’t care. Show up and compete.”
Columbus went 21-11-5 under Bowness, who replaced Dean Evason in January, but limped to a 2-7-1 record in their final 10 games as the playoffs slipped out of reach.
Bowness vowed in April he would take aim at the team culture if he returned.
“Like, I don’t know if I’m back [next season], but if I’m back, I’m changing this culture,” Bowness said Tuesday night.
The Blue Jackets last made the playoffs in 2020 and Bowness is their fifth head coach since that appearance.
Bowness has had a long coaching career in the NHL, spanning 42 years both as an assistant and head coach.
Prior to joining Columbus, he was most recently the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets for two seasons, going 98-47-10 and making the playoffs in 2023 and 2024. He was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award during the 2023-24 campaign and parted ways with the team after the season due to health issues.
Bowness has an all-time head coaching record of 331-418-42 with 48 ties split between the Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and Blue Jackets.
The Moncton, N.B., native coached the Stars to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2020, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
