The question comes up why coaching changes happen in the NHL. This is why. There are \u201ccoaching bumps\u201d after a change is made when teams get new found energy and enjoy early success.<\/p>\n
But what\u2019s going on with the Blue Jackets and Bowness is much more than just a \u201ccoaching bump.\u201d It\u2019s something that could in time have lasting ramifications on this franchise depending how the rest of the season plays out.<\/p>\n
The Blue Jackets are getting a new lease on life in 2025-26. Whether it leads to them making the playoffs this season remains to be seen. But thanks to everything the team is getting thanks to Bowness, they\u2019re in better position to give it their best shot. That\u2019s what elevates this beyond just a bump.<\/p>\n
Bowness\u2019 Communication<\/p>\n
Listen to the players. They are the guide to what\u2019s going on around them. In a postgame interview with TNT, Zach Werenski told them that he\u2019s \u201cnever in his career had a coach like Bowness\u201d who communicates as much as he does.<\/p>\n
Think about that for a second. One of the best defensemen in the world being able to say that about a coach is telling. Consider all of the coaches Werenski has had. This includes John Tortorella, who is one of the most brutally honest coaches out there.<\/p>\n
Yet, it\u2019s Bowness that\u2019s done something for Werenski that\u2019s never happened to him. Bowness was on a boat with his wife Judy just nine games ago. <\/p>\n
![\"Rick](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rick-Bowness-Blue-Jackets-1200x800.jpg\")
Columbus Blue Jackets new head coach Rick Bowness instructs the bench (Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
If Bowness is able to do that for Werenski, look at what he\u2019s doing for other individual players as well as the team at large. What\u2019s making this work is that everyone is responding the right way to things.<\/p>\n
At a recent practice, Bowness pulled his top line of Mason Marchment, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko together to talk with them. He told them how much he believes in what they could become. Bowness has had multiple conversations already with Fantilli as well as everyone on the team.<\/p>\n
Bowness has leveled up the communication around the Blue Jackets. Under Evason, while there was some communication, it was never like we\u2019re seeing now. In fact, Evason has admitted letting his assistants handle most of that and then he\u2019d speak up when necessary.<\/p>\n
Communication is at the heart of Bowness\u2019 approach. It\u2019s not coddling them. He\u2019s tough and brutally honest. But players know exactly where they stand at any given moment. <\/p>\n
This has resulted in a much different vibe and energy around the Blue Jackets. When the team was losing several third period leads, you could cut the tension with a knife. There were many questions and few answers.<\/p>\n
Now though? Bowness has begun the process of unlocking confidence throughout the team. He\u2019s also begun the process of unlocking other important aspects too.<\/p>\n
Bowness\u2019 Structure<\/p>\n
We say begun because the Blue Jackets still have a long way to go to fully play the style Bowness wants. This is to be expected just nine games into his tenure.<\/p>\n
The Blue Jackets are winning games by scoring goals. They\u2019ve scored 36 non-shootout goals in nine games under Bowness, an average of four per game. They\u2019re winning goals by doing a better job preventing goals. They\u2019ve allowed 24 goals under Bowness, an average of 2.67 per game. <\/p>\n
The Blue Jackets are also winning games by doing a better job in third period leads for various reasons. Whether it was Sean Monahan scoring late against the Flyers, the team locking Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar down against the Blackhawks or Jet Greaves stopping everything the Blues could through at them, the team is finding ways to win in a manner they weren\u2019t able to before.<\/p>\n
Blues head coach Jim Montgomery told the local Blues\u2019 media that he didn\u2019t think Bowness\u2019 structure was fully in place yet. When asked if he agreed with that, Bowness acknowledged he agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s times where it looks really good and there\u2019s times where it\u2019s not good,\u201d Bowness said. \u201cWe can be a little more consistent with it today. Our players now know when it looks like we\u2019re playing well. They also recognize when we\u2019re not. We just have to get a lot more consistency with that part of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is another reason why what Bowness is doing is more than a bump. The Blue Jackets are showing signs they\u2019re playing with better structure. This has a domino effect on the whole roster.<\/p>\n
Although Bowness didn\u2019t like the lines Friday in Chicago, he made some changes even after a win. Dmitri Voronkov was moved to the top-six while Boone Jenner was moved to center on the fourth line. Bowness said postgame Saturday he liked the lines before injuries came up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked the way the four lines looked tonight,\u201d Bowness said. \u201cI wish we could have played the whole third period like that because when you\u2019re playing three in four, you need your four lines. You need your 6D to go. So that\u2019s why for the two periods, I thought we were playing really well, really strong hockey and everyone was contributing. It got a little scrambly in the third but that\u2019s to be expected. But I did like to look at all four lines tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Rick](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Rick-Bowness-1200x960.jpeg\")
Rick Bowness has brought a lot to the Blue Jackets early on beyond just a coaching bump. (Photo: Mark Scheig\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n
On defense, Bowness has recently put Werenski and Damon Severson together. Severson scored the game-winning goal on Saturday night as he had ample time and space to unleash a bomb of a shot. <\/p>\n
While Ivan Provorov and Denton Mateychuk are back together, Bowness is rotating the third pair between Egor Zamula and Jake Christiansen to each play with Erik Gudbranson. It\u2019s working right now.<\/p>\n
But perhaps most importantly thanks to the new structure coming into place, Bowness has both Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves<\/a> playing well at the same time. Look at their numbers since the coaching change.<\/p>\n Merzlikins: 4-1-0 record, 2.49 goals-against average, .910 save percentage.<\/p>\n Greaves: 4-0-0 record, 2.58 goals-against average, .910 save percentage.<\/p>\n It is obviously a small sample size. But the early results are showing that Bowness can utilize both goaltenders and have confidence the team will find success. Under Evason, there was no confidence to rotate the goaltenders.<\/p>\n As the team continues to learn and play under Bowness\u2019 structure, it is expected that they\u2019ll find more consistency to make sure these better numbers can be sustained longer term.<\/p>\n What Truly Makes This Different<\/p>\n Traditional coaching bumps see a short-term bump in energy thanks to a fresh start and perspective. It does eventually wear off over time.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no question the Blue Jackets got that bump with Bowness coming in. But they\u2019ve gotten so much more than that. <\/p>\n Before Bowness even coached a single game for the Blue Jackets, he said in his introductory press conference that this was a good team. He\u2019s repeated that at multiple points too. It\u2019s not even a question in his mind how good he thinks they are.<\/p>\n Now the Blue Jackets are starting to show that in their play. They\u2019re winning in different ways. They\u2019re getting contributions all over the roster. Saturday night in St. Louis, 13 players recorded a point. <\/p>\n You May Also Like<\/p>\n The Blue Jackets are a now a dangerous team in the playoff race. They sit just four points back of the New York Islanders for third in the Metro. <\/p>\n Belief is a powerful too. The Blue Jackets believe they are a good team now. That belief isn\u2019t temporary. They believe they can be even better. <\/p>\n The Blue Jackets are confident. They are a more structured team. They are now better positioned to be a factor in the playoff race. <\/p>\n It\u2019s for these reasons that this is much more than a coaching bump from Bowness. His influence has the potential to be felt for many years to come in Columbus.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>![\"SUBSCRIBE](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/BlueJackets_Banner-1200x122.jpg\")
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