Winnipeg Jets Coach Rick Bowness Backpeddles On "Disgusting" Comments

Everyone's seen it by now. Winnipeg Jets coach Rick Bowness went viral after his team was eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday night, ripping his team afterwards for a "disgusting" display. But today, addressing the media under calmer circumstances, Bowness walked back his fiery postgame comments. Well, some of them, at least.

#NHLJets head coach Rick Bowness on his blowup:

"One of my many faults is I'm too emotional and I wear my heart on my sleeve.

I criticize myself for my choice of words.

Never will I accept a game like that."

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) April 29, 2023

Bowness: "Disgusted was probably too strong a word."

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) April 29, 2023

The Jets coach now admits that "'disgusted' was probably too strong a word." And he added that "one of my many faults is I'm too emotional and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I criticize myself for my choice of words. (But) Never will I accept a game like that."

Jets winger Blake Wheeler called out his coach earlier today on that very public blow-up, and Bowness said he understands how the players must feel having heard that. 

"That's a good crew in there," he added of the current Jets roster. "Listen, don't ever let me paint the whole team with one brush, because there's a lot of guys in there that gave a lot all year long."

Rick Bowness says his players are probably right. He says he is emotional and wears his heart on his sleeve. Doesn't like his choice of words.

Says he will never accept that type of effort though in a game like that.

"I never want them to be satisfied we made the playoffs."

— Murat Ates (@WPGMurat) April 29, 2023

He says the players are "probably right" in calling him out on it, but reiterated that he will never accept an effort like that, and "I never want them to be satisfied (only that) we made the playoffs."

As for his own future, the 68-year-old definitely wants to return. 

"I still love the game. And I still love the coaching part of it. I'm getting old, I get that part of it, but I still love the game. I love the city, I love the team. The Winnipeg Jets mean a lot to me. I love the fans. "I'm in."

Now, we'll have to wait and see if GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and team president Mark Chipman are on "in" on Bowness.

Photo: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports