Rick Bowness has a long and storied history behind NHL benches, most recently with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ben Jackson / Getty Images
NHL teams sure do love to recycle coaches. Sure, you can always make the case for somebody with a fresh set of eyes and a different, maybe even more modern approach. But when a GM is choosing the hire that could make or break his team’s chances, the temptation to go with an experienced hand who’s been around the league will always be there.
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We saw that this week in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets moved on from Dean Evason. They replaced him with 70-year-old veteran Rick Bowness, who’s been behind benches since the 1980s and is now making either his seventh or eighth stop as an NHL head coach (depending on whether you correctly believe that the Jets are the Jets).
That many stints from one coach is rare, even in the NHL. But we’re used to seeing coaches get multiple chances to ply their trade. So today, let’s break out our favorite quiz gimmick — “Who didn’t he play for?” — and flip it around on the guys in suits.
I’ll give you 16 coaches and four teams for each. Your job is to tell me: Who Didn’t He Coach For?
We’re looking for head coaching stints only, and there’s only one right answer for each coach. After you’ve taken the quiz, scroll back up to check how you did with this handy scoring chart:
16 right: You give pregame speeches like Herb Brooks in “Miracle.”
12 — 15 right: You win games like Jon Cooper with Tampa Bay.
8 — 11 right: You charm referees like Jim Schoenfeld with New Jersey.
5 — 7 right: You fight mascots like Craig MacTavish with Edmonton.
1 — 4 right: You throw benches like Robbie Ftorek with New Jersey.
0 right: Hey kid, got any photos on your phone I could look at?
(Important note: If the quiz below isn’t loading properly or you’re having trouble scrolling on your phone, use this direct link instead.)
(Remember to scroll back up to check your score.)
Sean McIndoe has been a senior NHL writer with The Athletic since 2018. He launched Down Goes Brown in 2008 and has been writing about hockey ever since, with stops including Grantland, Sportsnet and Vice Sports. His book, “The Down Goes Brown History of the NHL,” is available in book stores now. Follow Sean on Twitter @DownGoesBrown
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