Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets have reportedly found their next head coach.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Rick Bowness is finalizing a deal with the Jets to become their full-time head coach.

ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported Thursday that Winnipeg had narrowed its list of coaching candidates to five.

Interestingly, Bowness wasn't among that group. Scott Arniel, Rick Tocchet, Jim Montgomery, Jeff Blashill and Pascal Vincent were on the list.

Montgomery came off the board Thursday after reports the Boston Bruins were set to hire him.

Bowness announced in May he was stepping down as head coach of the Dallas Stars. Saad Yousuf of The Athletic noted the decision was likely "driven" by the Stars because "his contract ran out once the season ended so it can conveniently be framed as a parting of ways."

The Stars hired Bowness in 2018 as an assistant on Montgomery's staff. After Dallas fired Montgomery midway through the 2019-20 season, Bowness took over on an interim basis and led Dallas to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000.

Dallas then promoted Bowness to the full-time head coach role. He went 69-49-20 with one playoff appearance over the next two seasons.

Dave Lowry spent the bulk of the 2021-22 season as Winnipeg's head coach. He took over on an interim basis Dec. 17 after Paul Maurice resigned.

The 67-year-old Bowness began his coaching career with the Jets' AHL affiliate, the Sherbrooke Jets, in 1982-83. He joined Winnipeg as an assistant in 1984 and then took over the Moncton Hawks, the Jets' new AFL affiliate, in 1987. He finished the 1988-89 season as the Jets' interim head coach after being promoted following Dan Maloney's midseason firing.

In 12 seasons as a head coach with six different teams (Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Stars), Bowness has a 212-351-48-28 record with three playoff appearances.

The Jets went 39-32-11 (26-22-6 under Lowry) last season. They finished sixth in the Central Division with 89 points and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.

Pierre-Luc Dubois may have just turned 24 on Friday, but the forward already has plenty of NHL experience. He's played 361 games over the past five seasons, with his 122 most recent contests coming for the Winnipeg Jets.

Dubois didn't begin his career in Winnipeg, as he spent his first three seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, then played five games in the 2020-21 campaign before getting traded to the Jets. He may not end his career in Winnipeg, either.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman recently reported that Dubois has informed the Jets that he is planning to test the market when he becomes an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season.

"Now the Jets have control of the process until then, and what we're also hearing though is that they wish to keep him and have him as a Jet for a long time to come," Friedman said.

That may not be the best course of action for Winnipeg, though. Especially if Dubois is already thinking that far into the future and not committing to the Jets for the long term.

Dubois has been a solid player since arriving in Winnipeg. He tallied eight goals and 12 assists in 41 games for the Jets in the 2020-21 season. Then during the 2021-22 campaign, he recorded 60 points (one shy of his career high) with 28 goals (a career best) and 32 assists.

After missing the playoffs this season, Winnipeg should be making moves that will set it up for sustained success in the future. And that could mean trading Dubois before it potentially loses him following the next two seasons. The Jets may even be able to get a nice return for him, too.

If Winnipeg decides to put Dubois on the trade block, which teams could be among the potential suitors? One that would make sense is the Montreal Canadiens.

As Marco D'Amico of Montreal Hockey Now noted, the Canadiens will "undoubtedly be linked" to Dubois in trade rumors. And it could make sense for Montreal to try to swing a deal for him, depending on how things unfold in the 2022 NHL draft, which is set for July 7-8.

"Should the Montreal Canadiens not walk out of the 2022 NHL draft with one of the top centers like Shane Wright or Logan Cooley, trading for Dubois could be an option," D'Amico wrote.

There are potential cons for the Habs to consider. They'd likely have to part with strong players and/or draft picks in order to land somebody as young and talented as Dubois. Plus, Dubois will likely be seeking a large contract when he eventually becomes a UFA in 2024, so Montreal would have to commit a good bit of money if it wants him around for the long term (which it likely would if it traded for him).

Still, Dubois would be a great offensive player for the Canadiens to build around moving forward. It seems like a great fit, which is why they should do what it takes to acquire him (within reason) should he become available.

For now, though, Dubois remains in Winnipeg. And there's still a chance the Jets could change his mind about the future. But they'll need to find out soon whether there's a chance of that happening, or else it's likely best they try to deal him to a team such as the Canadiens.

Former New York Islanders bench boss Barry Trotz won't immediately jump back into coaching next season despite interest from a number of teams with head coaching vacancies, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

The Winnipeg Jets made Trotz an offer to become their next head coach after Paul Maurice resigned. However, Trotz has informed the franchise of his decision and "intends on continuing to focus on family," Dreger added.

Trotz has not ruled out a return to coaching entirely.

The 59-year-old also told NHL.com's Tim Campbell:

"I've got some things personally that I've got to take care of, family-wise that I've got to take care of. I didn't feel… if I'd said I'll take the job, I think I would have done any team a little bit of a disservice and myself a disservice because to be a coach in the NHL, it is demanding and it requires your all. It just does, emotionally it just does, mentally it just does. So I couldn't go down that path.

"It doesn't mean I'm not going to coach. Just not going to coach right now. I've been doing this for 25 straight years and I've put a lot of stuff on the back burner and I think it's time. The one thing I do know, and it's a mistake that everybody makes, is you think you have time and you don't. And so this is my time when I can get to a lot of things I've put on the back burner. I have to take care of those, for peace of mind for everything so I will be 100 percent in if I get back into it and I'll be a better coach for it."

Trotz was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates on the market. In addition to being offered a deal by the Jets, he also drew interest from the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars this summer.

The Islanders announced Trotz's firing in May after the team finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division with a 37-35-10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

New York's decision to fire Trotz was met with criticism and confusion after he helped turn the Islanders around and made them one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. In his four seasons at the helm, Trotz went 152-102-34 and led the team to three straight playoff appearances from 2018-19 to 2020-21, including a berth in the Eastern Conference Final in 2020.

Speaking with reporters following Trotz's firing, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said the team needed a "new voice." However, he refused to get into specifics about the veteran coach's firing.

"I'd rather not get into any of the reasons, because that's my job upon the information that I have, and the experience to make these types of decision," Lamoriello said.

He added: "These types of decisions are made for going forward, not for the backward. With this group we have, and they're on notice right now, that new voice is necessary to have success... My opinion is what makes these decisions."

In addition to coaching the Islanders, Trotz served as head coach of the Nashville Predators for 15 seasons and spent four seasons with the Washington Capitals, winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

The Islanders replaced Trotz with assistant Lane Lambert, who will serve as an NHL head coach for the first time.

As for the Jets, they're still searching for a new bench boss. However, The Athletic's Murat Ates reported earlier this month that former Dallas Stars head coach Jim Montgomery was "Winnipeg’s top current target." It's unclear if he's still in the running.

Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor has won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the player "adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability," the NHL announced Monday.

Connor beat out Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon for the honor. He is the first player in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history to win the award.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy voting results: pic.twitter.com/Nm6hoAggIW

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 7, 2022

Winning the Lady Byng is an impressive feat for Connor, especially considering Slavin won the award last season and Spurgeon finished runner-up.

Connor set career highs during the 2021-22 campaign with 47 goals and 46 assists for 93 points in 79 games. In addition, he was given just two minor penalties, the fewest among the NHL's top 100 scorers.

The 25-year-old also led Winnipeg forwards with 21:47 of ice time per game and finished 12th in the league with 66 takeaways.

The Jets selected Connor 17th overall in the 2015 draft, and he has been a staple in the team's lineup since the 2017-18 season. In 384 games, the Michigan native has tallied 178 goals and 166 assists for 344 points.

Connor is under contract with the Jets through the 2025-26 season after signing a seven-year, $50 million deal in September 2019.

The NHL announced the Jack Adams Award finalists Thursday, which means three coaches can (probably) say they are safe to keep their jobs beyond this season: the New York Rangers' Gerard Gallant, Calgary Flames' Darryl Sutter and Florida Panthers' Andrew Brunette. 

These are three very different coaches with varying styles. Gallant is considered an affable players' coach. He's a motivator and has his players' backs, all while guiding them through the season with an even-keeled demeanor. 

Sutter is as old-school as they come. He grew up playing in the frozen farmlands of Viking, Alberta, was previously the coach and general manager of the Flames before he returned to the farm for a year and then came back to help the Los Angeles Kings win two Stanley Cups. He has long implemented a grinding, physically demanding style of play. 

Brunette, who carries the interim label, stepped into a difficult situation and deftly guided the Panthers to the Presidents' Trophy after Joel Quenneville resigned.

Other teams aren't quite as lucky with their coaching situations. The week began with the New York Islanders filling their opening by promoting assistant Lane Lambert shortly before the Vegas Golden Knights fired Peter DeBoer, the second coach in the franchise's five-season history. 

Barry Trotz is still on the market, having been fired by the Islanders last week, though he has already interviewed with the Winnipeg Jets. Openings exist in Detroit and Philadelphia. Speculation looms that there may be another vacancy in Dallas, and the bench bosses in Chicago and Montreal still have interim tags ahead of their names. 

With that said, let's take a look at the landscape and try to predict where a few coaches will end up, as well as examine some up-and-coming coaches who could vie for head jobs soon.

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Detroit Red Wings: Mike Vellucci

General manager Steve Yzerman recently fired Jeff Blashill and will keep his cards close to his vest in the search for the Detroit Red Wings' new coach. This is how the franchise legend has always operated, and there is no reason to expect he'll suddenly do things differently. 

It gets tough to move in complete secrecy in this business unless you're Lou Lamoriello and all you have to do is tell the club's owner that the coach is getting fired without consulting anyone who could leak information. 

But if Yzerman wants to cast a wide net, he'll have to talk to agents and team executives in order to receive permission to speak with candidates. And he should talk to Pittsburgh Penguins president Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall regarding the availability of assistant coach Mike Vellucci.

Vellucci is a Detroit-area native from Farmington, Michigan, and he was the longtime head coach of the OHL's Plymouth Whalers before he worked up the pro ranks in the front office with the Carolina Hurricanes, as the head coach of the AHL's Charlotte Checkers and as the head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Vellucci brings experience but isn't a recycled NHL head coach. Yzerman has gone outside the traditional pipelines to fill head coaching jobs in the past, hiring a relatively unknown commodity named Jon Cooper when he was the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Given Yzerman's history with Cooper, if Vellucci doesn't move him, then maybe Cooper's assistant Derek Lalonde will. 

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Philadelphia Flyers: John Tortorella

John Tortorella proved to have some behind-the-times views when he said on ESPN that the lacrosse-style goal that burgeoning Anaheim Ducks stars Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano combined for earlier this year was bad for the game. There is no doubt the lightning rod of a coach would get the fans talking in Philadelphia if nothing else.

He is known for being demanding and holding his team accountable, but behind the curtain, his demeanor is that of a coach who fiercely protects his players, which would also be helpful with a demanding, blue-collar fanbase such as the one in Philadelphia.

He has the credentials: Tortorella led the Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup title, is a two-time Jack Adams Award winner, has coached a team to a season of 100 or more points three times, reached the playoffs 12 playoffs times and recorded 10 series victories.

His calling card is defense, and the Columbus Blue Jackets were adept at limiting chances when he was at the helm. The Flyers had little structure under Alain Vigneault and later under interim coach Mike Yeo, bleeding chances in the defensive zone.

Last season, Philadelphia allowed nearly 2000 five-on-five scoring chances (1,971), per NaturalStatTrick.com, which was the eighth-most in the NHL. Playing like that certainly can't help when it comes to developing a goalie like Carter Hart. 

However, Tortorella's effectiveness can wane as the tough love wears thin, especially if his teams aren't winning. But hey, it's worked for Sutter. Tortorella might not be a long-term solution but instead a way to bridge the gap to the next coach. 

If not Tortorella, then Trotz could be the answer. 

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Winnipeg Jets: Barry Trotz

Few coaches do more with less than Trotz. 

The system is the star with the 59-year-old, and it's heavily predicated on defense and limiting chances. But he has proved this style of play can win, as is evidenced by his 914 career victories and a 2018 Stanley Cup. 

The Jets could have some key long-term pieces in place to retool around in forward Kyle Connor and defenseman Josh Morrissey. Franchise cornerstones Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Connor Hellebuyck will still be around for a few more years, and Pierre-Luc Dubois is in need of an extension, as he'll be a restricted free agent this summer.

Trotz, a Dauphin, Manitoba, native, once brought the Cup back to the province during his day with it after he won the title with Washington, but he has a chance to bring it back as more than just a display item. 

The other name that could be in the mix is Randy Carlyle, the 66-year-old former Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs coach. 

Carlye hasn't coached since he was fired from his second stint with Anaheim in 2019. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the former Winnipeg defenseman is interested in getting behind a bench again.

Carlyle's style was a little stale toward the end with the Ducks, though the second time around in Orange County, he did prove to have a softer demeanor and showed an ability to adapt. 

He could be continuing to evolve, and if that's the case, then it makes sense for a team to at least inquire about the 2007 Stanley Cup-winning coach. 

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Vegas Golden Knights: Rick Tocchet

Rick Tocchet made some strides with the Arizona Coyotes, taking them to the playoffs in 2020. But the TNT analyst wasn't given much of a chance to show what he could do as a coach in Arizona since the club decided to rebuild and go in another direction in 2021, hiring former Ottawa 67's coach and Team Canada World Junior coach Andre Tourigney. 

Prior to that, Tocchet's first head coaching job came in 2008, when he got the interim role in Tampa Bay after the Lightning fired Barry Melrose. Tocchet was fired after the 2010 season, having posted a 53-69-26 record in two years.

The 58-year-old has played in 1,144 career NHL games and won two Stanley Cups as an assistant coach on Mike Sullivan's bench, overseeing a power play that often featured Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. 

It's tough to get a read on the Golden Knights given the club's tendency to make decisions on a whim, like parting with former coach Gerard Gallant in the middle of the season and trading away former franchise face Marc-Andre Fleury. But Tocchet developed a respected, no-nonsense approach in Arizona, and with a roster of veterans who want to win and who know what it takes to do so, that style could be effective. 

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Dallas Stars: Peter DeBoer

Look, this is a shot in the dark, but it seems as though Rick Bowness has outlived his effectiveness. The Dallas Stars made it to the first round of the playoffs and pushed the Flames to seven games, largely based on the performance of emerging young goalie Jake Oettinger. 

But getting into the playoffs shouldn't be the goal for a team that was in the Stanley Cup Final while in the bubble two years ago. Sure, we could point to the flukey nature of the bubble, but it was an even playing field for everyone in Edmonton and Toronto, so no one can say they didn't earn it. 

The Stars are in a tough place with an aging core and some top young talent. They either have to move on from players such as John Klingberg or risk clinging to the past and mediocrity. That won't be easy, considering Tyler Seguin has five years left on his contract and Jamie Benn has three. 

The club was at an impasse with Klingberg, an impending unrestricted free agent, earlier this year, but he has expressed a desire to stay in Texas. 

No decision has been made on Bowness, but if Dallas decides it has enough talent to continue on this same path and go for it in the near future, it might want a win-now coach such as DeBoer, who has led two teams to the Cup Final (New Jersey Devils in 2012, San Jose Sharks in 2016). 

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Under-the-Radar Names

There is a dearth of European coaches and executives in the NHL. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen (Finland) and Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin (Sweden) are the only two Europeans to hold high-level executive positions. There are no European head coaches. 

Marco Sturm could soon change that. A veteran of nearly 1,000 NHL games, Sturm is getting NHL coaching experience as a Kings assistant on Todd McLellan's bench. He has also coached the German national team in international competition. 

Rikard Gronborg's name comes up every year. The longtime Swedish national team coach is guiding Switzerland’s ZSC Lions but has worked in North America in collegiate ranks. 

Patrik Elias has also coached the Czech junior national team and with the Devils as a special assistant of sorts. He expressed interest in coaching in the NHL a few years ago, though he may need some experience as an assistant or as the coach of an AHL team first.

And speaking of the Devils, Alain Nasreddine, who briefly served as New Jersey's interim coach when John Hynes was fired in December 2019, parted ways with the Devils recently. Nasreddine could either take his lockdown penalty-killing system elsewhere in the NHL or try to become an AHL head coach to gain experience in the big chair. 

Kris Knoblauch's name was mentioned last year after the Rangers fired David Quinn. The coach of the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack since 2019 and a former assistant coach with the Flyers, Knoblauch could be ready to make the jump to an NHL head coaching job.

Quinn is also on the market, as is Claude Julien. Both coached at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. 

The Winnipeg Jets announced Friday that Paul Maurice has resigned as the team's head coach:

pic.twitter.com/Nb42gBlJJS

— Winnipeg Jets PR (@WpgJetsPR) December 17, 2021

Dave Lowry will be the Jets' interim head coach.

Darren Dreger of TSN noted "there's nothing sinister" to the surprising decision, which was a personal choice.

Maurice was in his ninth year as coach of the Jets, entering the day in fifth place in the Central Division with a 13-10-5 record.

The Jets have made the playoffs in each of the last four years, reaching the conference final in 2018.

Over nine seasons with Winnipeg, Maurice has led the team to 315 wins in 600 regular-season games.

The 54-year-old has been a head coach for four different organizations in his NHL career, spanning 24 seasons. His 775 career regular-season wins are the sixth-most in league history and the most of any coach without a Stanley Cup title.

Winnipeg will need to regroup after losing its veteran coach, hoping to also turn things around after back-to-back losses.

Lowry will take over for his first head-coaching job in the NHL after joining the team as an assistant last year. He spent 19 years in the league as a player from 1985 to 2004, totaling 351 points for five different organizations.

The 56-year-old has experience as a head coach in the Western Hockey League.

Winnipeg is scheduled to host the Washington Capitals on Friday.