Blue Jackets Stun NHL: Fire Dean Evason, Hire Veteran Rick Bowness as New Head Coach

Columbus, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets have dismissed head coach Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy and installed 38-year NHL bench veteran Rick Bowness as the club’s new head coach, effective immediately. Bowness, 70, steps back behind an NHL bench less than two years after retiring from the Winnipeg Jets, where he guided the club to a 98-57-9 record and consecutive playoff berths from 2022-24. His career résumé spans 803 games as an NHL head coach and includes a trip to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars, as well as previous stops in Phoenix, the Islanders, Ottawa and Boston. Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell cited “performance below expectations” for the mid-season change, noting that the club’s 19-19-7 start left it eighth in the Metropolitan Division. “Rick Bowness is a tremendous coach with invaluable experience and knowledge, and he will bring a steadiness to our team at an important juncture,” Waddell said in the team’s statement. WHY THE BLUE JACKETS TURNED TO BOWNESS • Track record of quick turnarounds: Bowness inherited the Stars mid-season in 2019-20 and steered them to a Western Conference championship. • Defensive pedigree: His Jets finished top-five in goals-against average in 2023-24, a glaring need for a Columbus squad surrendering 3.46 goals per game. • Communication style: Players in Dallas and Winnipeg routinely praised his transparent, “players-first” approach, something Waddell believes can “bring out the best in our group.” Bowness, a native of Moncton, New Brunswick, originally retired in May 2024 citing a desire to spend more time with family after his wife’s health scare earlier that season. In Columbus, he reunites with assistant coach Pascal Vincent, a former Winnipeg colleague, to install the structured, forecheck-heavy system that became his trademark with the Jets and Stars. WHAT’S NEXT • First game: Bowness will debut Tuesday at Nationwide Arena against the Calgary Flames. • Practice priorities: Expect an immediate emphasis on break-out efficiency, neutral-zone gaps and a penalty kill that currently ranks 24th league-wide. • Roster decisions: With the March 4 trade deadline approaching, Bowness’s evaluations could influence whether Columbus becomes a buyer or seller. SEO KEY PHRASES TO WATCH Rick Bowness hired as Columbus Blue Jackets head coach; Blue Jackets coaching change 2026; NHL coaching carousel; veteran coach Rick Bowness returns; Dean Evason fired; Blue Jackets playoff push. The Blue Jackets believe Bowness’s experience and defensive acumen can jump-start a roster that blends veterans Boone Jenner and Zach Werenski with emerging talents Adam Fantilli and David Jiříček. Whether that formula is enough to climb back into the Eastern Conference playoff race will begin to unfold Tuesday night in front of a home crowd eager for a fresh start.