Rick Bowness was figuratively spitting nails after the Blue Jackets’ 2-1 loss in the season finale to the Capitals, as he ripped into the players in an emotional press conference on Tuesday night.
The veteran NHL coach warned that if he returned behind the bench next season that there would be major changes to the team’s culture.
“All you gotta do is look at the stat sheet. Three hits, 23 giveaways,” Bowness said after taking a moment to try and calm himself down. “I don’t know if I’m back, but if I’m back, I’m changing this culture. These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them.
“How can you go out and play like that. Should have done this about a month ago, but this is why we are where we are. This is why we’re out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. You have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game, I don’t care, show up and compete.”
Tuesday’s game had essentially no meaning for the Capitals or the Blue Jackets, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this week.
The 2025-26 season marks the sixth time that the Blue Jackets have missed out on the postseason.
Bowness took over as head coach earlier this year after replacing Dean Evason in mid-January.
The Blue Jackets coach continued, adding later that the players “don’t want to battle back” when it’s gotten tough during the season.
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness, center top, looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Winnipeg Jets in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday, April 4, 2026. AP “That’s what happened over the last couple of weeks. That’s all that’s happened,” Bowness said. “We’re going to change that. If I’m back, and I don’t know if I’m back, Don [Waddell] and I will talk and we’ll get to that. But man, oh man, some of those guys are so lucky the season’s over and there’s no practice tomorrow.”
Bowness seemed to soften his tone toward the end of the press conference by saying that the players “do care” but that “they have to show it on the ice.”
The Blue Jackets ended the regular season with a 40-30-12 record.
