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Dallas Stars part ways with head coach Rick Bowness

Rick Bowness coached the Dallas Stars to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2020. (Getty Images)
Rick Bowness coached the Dallas Stars to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2020. (Getty Images)

Rick Bowness will be voluntarily stepping down from his role as head coach of the Dallas Stars, the team confirmed Friday.

The story was first reported by Kevin Weekes of NHL Network.

Stars assistant coaches John Stevens, Derek Laxdal and Todd Nelson will not be returning either.

Bowness was initially hired as an assistant head coach, but was promoted to interim head coach duties in December 2019 after Jim Montgomery was fired due to unprofessional conduct. The move immediately paid off for the Stars as Bowness helped lead the team to the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dallas was recently eliminated in a competitive seven-game first-round series against the Calgary Flames.

Bowness posted a 89-62-25 cumulative record during his three seasons with the Stars.

The 67-year-old released a statement via the Stars on Friday:

“After careful consideration with my wife Judy, we feel it’s best to step away and allow the organization to pursue a different direction at the head coaching position. I’d like to thank all the passionate fans and the dedicated staff for their support and hard work in my time here. It has been an honor for me, and my family, to represent the Stars and the City of Dallas.”

It’s unclear who the Stars will replace Bowness with, but there are a few options on the market. Barry Trotz is the biggest name out there, a masterful defensive tactician who was surprisingly dismissed by the New York Islanders on May 8, while former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer could also be in the mix.

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