Rick Bowness takes leave from Winnipeg Jets after wife’s seizure

Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness is taking a leave of absence from the team after his wife had a seizure.

The Jets announced the move Monday.

The team said Judy Bowness remains in hospital and is undergoing further testing after having a seizure Sunday night.

There was no timetable announced for Bowness’s return to the team. Associate coach Scott Arniel will serve as interim head coach in his absence.

Bowness has a 48-35-3 record since becoming Winnipeg’s coach ahead of the 2022-23 season. He led the Jets to a 46-33-3 record and a playoff berth last season.

Winnipeg was eliminated in five games in the first round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.

Bowness was head coach of the Dallas Stars for about two and a half seasons before joining Winnipeg.

He led the Stars to the 2020 Stanley Cup final. Dallas lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Jets are off to a 2-3-0 start to the 2023-24 season and next play Tuesday against the visiting St. Louis Blues.

Bowness began his NHL coaching career in 1984 as an assistant with the Jets.

He spent 28 games as head coach of the Jets in 1988-89 as a mid-season replacement for Dan Maloney, before leaving the organization after the season.

He has also spent time as a head coach with the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2023.