Who will be the first NHL coach fired in 2026-27?

Oct 24, 2026, 9:35 AM ET|Comments (0)

from Daily Faceoff, by Matt Larkin,

So, Roundtable: Who will be the first NHL coach fired this season?

MATT LARKIN: Does it count if the coach fires himself? There’s a non-zero chance Rick Bowness does that and walks away as Columbus Blue Jackets coach this season. He’s the oldest active bench boss in the league at 71, and he seems beyond fed up with his players’ compete level, regularly calling them out in post-game pressers going back to late last season. If he doesn’t decide he’s had enough, I wonder if GM Don Waddell makes the call and decides his players need a new voice. If it happens, it would mark the second consecutive year Columbus is the first team to fire its coach, as the axe fell on Dean Evason last January.

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