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Changing of the Guard: Rick Bowness stepping aside as head coach

By Brian Sweet

Nov 30, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness watches his team take on the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Bowness coaches in his 2,500th career NHL game as a head or assistant coach. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness watches his team take on the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at the American Airlines Center. Bowness coaches in his 2,500th career NHL game as a head or assistant coach. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Well, optimistic Stars fans knew it was coming after the season ended. It was announced today that the Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness would be stepping aside to pave a new era for Dallas Stars hockey. A lot of fans are probably in the streets of Dallas rejoicing that he is no longer the head coach.

For those who hopped on the Dallas Stars bandwagon this season, he is not as bad of a coach as fans were making him out to be. He took over after Jim Montgomery was fired for alcohol abuse in the middle of the season. Rick basically had to keep the roster focused as there were still to be games played in the middle of the season.

Then Covid hit and had to keep the team focused once again during the huge gap between the season and the playoff bubble. Bowness got the guys ready to play in the first round in the bubble against Calgary.  He then helped the Stars get past Colorado and Las Vegas as the Stars returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in about 20 years.

Bowness’s coaching during that run was even the main reason the Stars made it to the Finals and lasted 6 games before getting eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games. He gave hope to a fan base during a pandemic when all hope seemed to be lost.

Bowness then tried to run it back during the shortened season in the spring but the Stars didn’t deal with the quick season turnaround. Can’t really blame him for the shortcomings during that season since everyone who got injured during the Stanley Cup Finals was still recovering.

This past season he made some head-scratching decisions with scratching healthy players that led fans to want him fired midseason. Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill kept him on as head coach after the All-Star break and ultimately led us back to the playoffs once again. Fans weren’t as happy since we were the last team to clinch a playoff spot.

The Stars took a divisional champion all the way to seven games and ended up getting eliminated in OT which is more than even the media thought this series was going to go. A lot of the credit goes to Rick Bowness and his coaches for even making it that far in the playoffs.

While Bowness had many shortcomings as head coach here in Dallas, Fans should thank him for the Stanley Cup Finals run during a dark time in our lives back in Texas.

To Rick Bowness, thank you for everything you did as the Dallas Stars head coach, and fans wish you all the best if it’s with another team or retirement.

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