NHL coach rips players after stunning late-season collapse extends playoff drought: 'They don’t care'
Columbus went 18-2-4 after Rick Bowness took over in January before a dramatic late-season slide
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Columbus Blue Jackets have missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year thanks to a stunning late-season collapse that concluded with a 2-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
The organization went from second in the Metropolitan Division last month to being eliminated in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. Head coach Rick Bowness, who came out of retirement to take over the job in January, didn’t hold back on his team when speaking to reporters on Tuesday night.
Head coach Rick Bowness of the Columbus Blue Jackets watches the play during an NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on April 2, 2026. (Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"All you gotta do is look at the stat sheet: Three hits, 23 giveaways. I don't know if I'm back, but if I'm back, I'm changing this culture," he said bluntly. "These guys – they don't care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn't bother them. How can you go out and play like that?"
"I should have done this about a month ago, but this is why we are where we are. This is why we're out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. You have to hate losing. I don't care if it's a meaningless game. I don't care. Show up and compete."
Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness directs his team from the bench against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., on March 12, 2026. (Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
Bowness replaced Dean Evason on Jan. 12 as the Blue Jackets sat in last place in the Eastern Conference. But he quickly changed things around, and Columbus went 18-2-4 in his first 24 games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}AVALANCHE COACH TAKES PUCK TO THE FACE, WILL MISS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES
The Blue Jackets found themselves in a playoff spot, but as quickly as things had changed for the better, they went 3-9-1 down the stretch to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
"Some of those guys are so lucky the season's over and there's no practice tomorrow," Bowness said, later adding, "Inexcusable. If they're not embarrassed by not only tonight – by that – they're on the wrong team."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness coaches against the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y., on March 2, 2026. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
"If I'm back, we're changing this freaking culture."
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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