Dallas Stars Lose Entire Coaching Staff

The Dallas Stars join a few other teams this offseason as teams who now need a new head coach. On Friday, Stars head coach Rick Bowness announced he would be stepping down as the bench boss of the Stars. Hockey insider Kevin Weekes was the first to report the news.

Statement from Rick Bowness: pic.twitter.com/x8N4wwXVIb

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 20, 2022

Along with Bowness, the trio of assistant coaches John Stevens, Derek Laxdal and Todd Nelson also won't be returning next season in Dallas. The Stars were eliminated in the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to the hands of the Calgary Flames.

The 67-year-old Bowness' contract was set to expire and there was some thought he'd be signing an extension, but as we know now, that's not the case at all. The Stars essentially clean house with their assistants and now have a ton of work to do this summer to fill their staff.

Bowness was hired as the interim head coach back in December 2019 after Jim Montgomery was let go. The coaching veteran has been behind the bench for 639 career games with the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes, along with an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning. Where to next, Rick? 

Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports