Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell says Rick Bowness will tone it down
Columbus Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell says coach Rick Bowness has been asked to keep his most pointed player critiques private.
Blue Jackets General Manager Don Waddell has revealed that Rick Bowness, the team's veteran coach, has been instructed to temper his criticism of the players after losses. This directive is a result of Bowness' intense postgame rant following their lackluster loss to the Florida Panthers last season. Since then, Bowness has publicly criticized two unnamed players during training camp and made pointed remarks after the team's 7-3 defeat to the Panthers, leading some to question if he had lost the locker room.
However, Waddell maintains that Bowness has been working to control his emotions and that the coach remains passionate about his work. The team's leadership is stepping in to fill the void left by the absence of a designated captain, with Mathieu Olivier taking on a more prominent leadership role.
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