Judy Bowness, the wife of Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness, has been hospitalized after suffering a seizure, the team announced Monday morning.
Coach Bowness has taken a leave of absence to be with his wife.
“Sunday evening, Judy Bowness, wife of Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness suffered a seizure and is currently in hospital undergoing further testing,” the Jets said in a statement. “As a result, Rick is taking a leave of absence from the hockey club. Associate coach Scott Arniel is serving as the interim head coach until Rick returns to the team. We ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
Bowness, who played parts of six seasons in the NHL, is in his second season as the Jets’ head coach after a three-year run behind the Dallas Stars bench.
He’s also been a head coach for the Coyotes, Islanders, Senators, Bruins and the original Jets, who relocated to Arizona and became the Coyotes.
When Bowness broke Scotty Bowman’s record for most NHL games coached as either an assistant or head coach in 2017, when he was on the Lightning staff, he gave his wife credit for his long career.
“I wouldn’t have coached one day, let alone all these years, without (Judy’s) love and support and willingness to say, ‘Okay, let’s pack up, and where are we going?’” Bowness told the Tampa Bay Times at the time.
The Jets (2-3) are set to host the Blues on Tuesday.
Arniel was an assistant coach with the Rangers under Alain Vigneault.