Blue Jackets Fire Dean Evason, Hire Rick Bowness As New Head Coach

Karl Rasmussen | 2 Hours Ago

Columbus Blue Jackets fired coach Dean Evason / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Blue Jackets are shaking things up in a big way after a disappointing start to the 2025-26 NHL season.

Sitting in last place in the Metropolitan Division, Columbus announced Monday that it was relieving head coach Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy of their roles. Additionally, the Blue Jackets hired Rick Bowness to take over as the franchise’s new head coach.

Bowness hasn’t coached since the 2023-24 season when he was at the helm in Winnipeg. In his lengthy coaching career, which spans 14 seasons as a head coach, he’s spent time with the Jets, Bruins, Senators, Islanders, Coyotes and Stars. The 70-year-old owns a career record of 310–408–48 in 803 games.

This season, the Blue Jackets are in the cellar of the division with 45 points (19–19–7) in 45 games. The team has a -18 goal differential and has surrendered the most goals (153) in the Eastern Conference. The team’s struggles in 2025-26 come on the heels of an excellent campaign last year––Evason’s first season as Columbus’s head coach––in which they almost snuck into the playoffs.

The team failed to replicate that success, and as such Evason has been ousted.

“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,” said Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell in part of his statement.

“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,” said Waddell. “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.”

The Blue Jackets play next on Tuesday, Jan. 13 against the Flames.

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