Consequential update on Jets coach Rick Bowness’ leave of absence

Earlier this week, the Winnipeg Jets announced that head coach Rick Bowness would be taking a leave of absence after his wife, Judy Bowness, suffered a seizure on Sunday night. On Tuesday night, Darren Dreger provided an update on her condition and what it means for Rick’s situation with the Jets on Insider Trading on TSN.

“The great news is that Judy is at home. Rick is with her at home and she’s resting. She’s also undergoing further testing and evaluation to find out exactly what happened and why that happened.

“The priority is family for Rick Bowness and by extension the Winnipeg Jets, hence the leave of absence. We don’t know how long he’s going to be away from the club but the team is in good hands from a hockey perspective with Scott Arniel, who was a top candidate when the Jets went down the path of a coaching search before hiring Rick Bowness so they know he’s certainly capable on handling things in the interim.”

And so, there is still no time table for Bowness returning to the team. The bench boss is currently in his second season behind the bench of the Jets, with the team going 46-33-3 in his first season and making the playoffs before they lost in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights. At this time and until Bowness does return, associate coach Scott Arniel serves as the interim head coach. 

The Jets, who are in good hands under Arniel as they were when he took over after Paul Maurice's departure in December 2021, are off to a decent start with a 3-3-0 record, putting them in fourth in the Central Division.

Family and health come first and the update of Bowness’s situation confirms that it hasn’t changed in Winnipeg.

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