Blue Jackets fire Evason, hire Bowness as head coach

The Columbus Blue Jackets fired head coach Dean Evason and named Rick Bowness as his replacement, the team announced Monday.

Columbus also relieved assistant coach Steve McCarthy of his duties.

Evason was in his second season behind the bench for the Blue Jackets, who sit last in the Eastern Conference at 19-19-7.

"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," general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "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."

The Blue Jackets missed the playoffs by two points in 2024-25 and are trending toward missing the postseason for a sixth consecutive year following an underwhelming first half.

Bowness most recently coached the Winnipeg Jets between 2022 and 2024, announcing his retirement after the club was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 70-year-old has 2,726 games of experience as an NHL head coach or assistant, the most in league history.