The Columbus Blue Jackets made a massive shake-up behind the bench on Monday. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, given the Blue Jackets’ exciting 3-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Sunday night.
The club announced that it had fired head coach Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy. In Evason’s place, the club tapped veteran Rick Bowness.
We’ve relieved head coach Dean Evason and assistant coach Steve McCarthy of their duties and hired veteran NHL coach Rick Bowness as the club’s head coach.
CBJ x @OHHeartofitAll
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell had this to say about the move:
“This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we are not performing at a level that meets our expectations. We all share in that responsibility, me included, and while this was not a decision that was made lightly it is one that needed to be made at this time.”
The comments, as reported by NHL.com, come at an interesting junction in the Blue Jackets’ season. The club is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games and has seemingly turned things around, before hitting a major speedbump. Sunday night’s win was an emotional one, showing the club’s resilience.
However, the Jackets were coming off a 4-0 blanking against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. Avalanche third-stringer Trent Miner recorded his first NHL shoutout. Meanwhile, Colorado didn’t seem to break a sweat.
Sunday night’s win snapped a four-game skid by the Blue Jackets. All told, the Blue Jackets had lost five of their last seven games, miring them in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Waddell concluded his comments by stating:
“Dean did a tremendous job last year under extremely difficult circumstances and I thank him for that. I also want to thank Steve for his commitment to our club over the past five years.”
Evason had a mostly winning record with the Blue Jackets. He was 59-52-17 in 127 games in parts of two seasons.
Evason Led Blue Jackets During Tough Season
Evason led the Jackets during the emotionally challenging 2024-25 season. During the 2024 offseason, the Jackets lost franchise icon Johnny Gaudreau in a tragic accident. Evason was one of the key pillars that kept the team afloat during the extraordinarily tough period.
The Blue Jackets had a strong second half of the season, falling short of a playoff spot in the end. The run late last season fueled hopes for this year. But after Columbus faded following a solid start, questions began to emerge regarding the club.
Bowness Tapped to Lead Columbus Moving Forward
A new era begins under veteran coach Rick Bowness. The 70-year-old has been behind the bench for over 800 NHL games.
That situation inspired Waddell to declare the following:
“Rick Bowness is a tremendous coach with invaluable experience and knowledge, and he will bring a steadiness to our team at an important juncture in our season. He is a good communicator whose teams play with structure, are sound defensively and we believe he is the right person to bring out the best in our group.”
As implausible as it may seem, Bowness has an opportunity to lead the last-place Blue Jackets back into the playoff hunt. Entering Monday’s action, the team is seven points out of a wild card spot.
With the Eastern Conference being so wide open this season, it makes sense the club would make such an impactful move now.
Blue Jackets Make Massive Shake-up Behind the Bench