COLUMBUS, Ohio — Coach Rick Bowness has vowed to change the culture within the Columbus Blue Jackets. The players’ response? Sign me up.

There were plenty of bruised egos after Tuesday’s season-ending loss to the Washington Capitals, when Bowness — his face flush, his hair a mess — stepped in front of a microphone and called out his players for not caring, for not hating to lose, for melting when the playoff-chase heat was turned up and more.

However, over the last two days, Blue Jackets players said they hoped Bowness, 71, would return. They got their wish Thursday, when Bowness agreed to a one-year contract through next season.

“He’s done great things for our team, our dressing room, our systems,” Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli said. “In terms of having to fix anything (with the players after his comments)? Nah. We’re all men. We’re gonna work past it.

“It’s not like he said anything too ridiculous. He was upset. He was pissed. We had a terrible home record (0-5-1) the last six games. He has a right to be upset. We have to be just as upset. It’s embarrassing to have that happen at home when we’re in the position we were in. I love Bones. He’s done a lot for me, and I appreciate that.”

The Blue Jackets went 21-11-5 (.635 points percentage) under Bowness, including an initial 19-3-4 run after he was hired on Jan. 12. It was the 2-8-1 faceplant in the final three weeks of the season that knocked the Jackets out of the playoffs and sent Bowness’ blood pressure spiking.

He did say early in his comments, “they don’t care,” when referring to his players. As he continued to vent, he cooled a bit, eventually saying, “We’ve got a good team, and they do care. So I’m mad right now, yeah. They do care, but they gotta show it on the ice.”

Otherwise, Bowness has not backed down.

“After a game like that, and after the stretch we had (to end the season), I’m not going to come in here and say, ‘Oh, we were close tonight,’ or ‘We battled hard.’ I’m not going to do that,” Bowness said during a Thursday news conference to announce his new contract.

“People aren’t stupid. They’re watching. They see what I see, man, and the players see it, too. You know me now. Sometimes my passion gets in my way. But that’s why I’m sitting here, the passion and love of the game.”

It wasn’t an easy critique for players to hear — it wasn’t meant to be, of course — but most players cited Bowness’ passion as one of his strengths. The other top-of-the-résumé trait is his communication.

Bowness is always out early for off-day practices or game-day skates, giving him time to saddle up next to players for a chat. It’s the same way in the dressing room, where conversations are just as likely in the middle of the room as in his office.

“I respect the hell out of Bones,” Blue Jackets winger Mason Marchment said. “He’s a hell of a coach. He’s been around. He knows the game. He knows how to talk to players. He’s really personable.

“You can be honest and upfront with him, and he’ll take that and do what he wants with it. I have nothing but respect for him. I think he’s an excellent coach, and he put a really good structure around this team.”

Defenseman Damon Severson went a step further. He’s had nine different head coaches during his 12-year NHL career (if you count Mike Babcock in Columbus) with New Jersey and Columbus. They’ve run the gamut, Severson said.

“Bones is the best coach I’ve personally ever had,” Severson said. “I’ve had a couple of really good coaches. I’ve had some really not good coaches. But Bones has been the best one so far. We’re all big fans of Bones.

“We let the organization down and the fans down by not being in the playoffs, but Rick Bowness is not the issue at all. He’s going to be part of the solution.”

Players were still stopping by Nationwide Arena on Thursday, some for exit interviews and others to grab personal belongings for another long offseason. The Blue Jackets’ six-year playoff drought is the second-longest in history, exceeded only by the franchise’s first seven seasons.

Bowness has vowed to change the culture in the dressing room, and he’s signaled to the players that he’ll be a different coach in 2026-27.

There wasn’t much to complain about during a 19-3-4 run that pushed the Blue Jackets to fifth overall in the Eastern Conference and second place in the Metropolitan Division.

The 2-8-1 free fall happened quickly, too, but Bowness said he wishes he’d acted earlier when he saw bad habits and bad tendencies creep into some players’ games. That’s what he meant on Tuesday when he warned, “Man, oh man, some of those guys are so lucky the season is over, and there’s no practice tomorrow.”

Bowness can now devise an offseason program. He can advise general manager Don Waddell on which of their free agents he’d like back, which free agents he’d like to pursue and what kind of players he feels the Blue Jackets should add this season. He can coach this team through training camp and throughout a full season.

And now, when he tells the players that the early and midseason points are just as important as March and April points, they’ll know. And when he tells them how much tougher the league gets in the final month of the season, they’ll get it.

“We love playing for Bones,” Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “He’s a great coach. I have nothing but respect for him. It’s a message … it’s a strong message, and we all have to respond to it.”