Winnipeg Jets’ head coach Rick Bowness returned to the team on Nov. 24 ahead of their game against the Florida Panthers, a month after taking a leave of absence due to his wife Judy Bowness’ health issues.
Prior to his first game back, he spoke about his time away from the team.
“Judy Is Doing About As Well As We Could Expect” — Bowness
Bowness stepped away from the Jets on Oct. 23 after Judy suffered a seizure. He said her condition is improving thanks to medication.
“I’m a little more comfortable leaving her alone for a couple hours to come to practice,” he said, adding that when he’s on the road, she will spend time with their kids.
“She’s getting stronger every day and (doing) about as good as we can expect at this point. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone for a couple of hours,” he continued.
“As you go through life, there are always life-changing moments and that was certainly a life-changing moment for us,” the 68-year-old veteran coach said.
Bowness Said Coaching Staff and Players Did a “Fantastic Job,” Thanks Front Office
Associate coach Scott Arniel took over as interim head coach in Bowness’ absence and led the team to a 9-2-2 record in 13 games. The Jets, winners of seven of nine games in November heading into the matchup against the Panthers, have gotten balanced scoring from throughout their lineup and have excelled at five-on-five.
Bowness said he and Arniel talked every day and he watched every game to send Arniel his comments, but complimented Arniel and the entire Jets’ coaching staff for taking the reins.
“Our coaches did a fantastic job, they really did,” Bowness said. “They kept this team very very well prepared, everything we put into place during training camp they were staying on top of those details… they’ve done a fantastic job, as have our players. This is not an easy thing for them as well, so I give our players an awful lot of credit for staying dialled in and focused and playing as well as they have.”
He also thanked general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and True North Sports & Entertainment executive chairman Mark Chipman for allowing him to step away to spend time with Judy. “We wouldn’t have made it without their support, the love,” Bowness said.
Rick and Judy were in Boca Raton, Florida — where they keep a home — for the past 10 days, Ken Wiebe reported. The Athletic’s Murat Ates noted Judy will travel on the team plane to Nashville, where they Jets play Sunday evening, then to Winnipeg.
“You Have to Be All In, You can’t Have One Foot Out the Door” — Bowness
It’s clear — and was illustrated by the big hugs he received upon entering the locker room Friday — that Bowness is loved and respected by his players.
He met with them a few weeks ago in Winnipeg to provide them an update and explain he couldn’t give them all of himself at that point because Judy needed him.
“That’s why I kind of stayed away a little longer than I thought,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “That’s life.”
Lowry, Pionk Happy to See Bowness Back
The Jets, who have rallied around the adversity, are elated for his return.
“We’re all really excited to have him back,” captain Adam Lowry said, adding the most important thing is that Judy is doing well. “He’s our leader so it’ll be great to have him in the room. Just having him out on the ice this morning, that’s a big lift for us.”
“I think he was grateful for our support, grateful for all the extra work the coaching staff had to do to step up in his absence,” Lowry continued. “It’s different: having his presence back in the room, you can feel that energy, that love for the game. He has so much knowledge, so much passion for it.”
When asked about Arniel’s leadership and how the rest of the coaching staff stepped up, Lowry said you couldn’t ask for much more. He added they did a great job on the “audible” and adapted to their expanded roles and workloads quickly.
“It’s awesome,” defenseman Neal Pionk added. “He just brings that light into the room. Guys are happy to see him, he gave us all a hug in the morning, so it puts a lot of energy into us.”
The only way they could rally around Bowness was to work hard, Pionk said. “Not much in our control in that situation, but what is in our control is our effort, so that’s one thing we kind of wanted to stick to.”
