NHL coach rips players after stunning late-season collapse extends playoff drought: 'They don’t care'

The Columbus Blue Jackets person missed the playoffs for the sixth consecutive twelvemonth acknowledgment to a stunning late-season illness that concluded with a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to the Washington Capitals connected Tuesday night. 

The enactment went from 2nd successful the Metropolitan Division past period to being eliminated successful a 3-2 shootout nonaccomplishment to the Philadelphia Flyers connected Monday. Head manager Rick Bowness, who came retired of status to instrumentality implicit the occupation successful January, didn’t clasp backmost connected his squad erstwhile speaking to reporters connected Tuesday night.

Head Coach Rick Bowness of the Columbus Blue Jackets watches the play during an NHL crippled against the Carolina Hurricanes astatine Lenovo Center successful Raleigh, N.C., connected April 2, 2026. (Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire)

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"All you gotta bash is look astatine the stat sheet: Three hits, 23 giveaways. I don't cognize if I'm back, but if I'm back, I'm changing this culture," helium said bluntly. "These guys – they don't care. Losing is not important capable to them. It doesn't fuss them. How tin you spell retired and play similar that?" 

"I should person done this astir a period ago, but this is wherefore we are wherever we are. This is wherefore we're retired of the playoffs. That benignant of effort. You person to hatred losing. I don't attraction if it's a meaningless game. I don't care. Show up and compete."

Columbus Blue Jackets caput manager Rick Bowness directs his squad from the seat against the Florida Panthers astatine Amerant Bank Arena successful Sunrise, Fla., connected March 12, 2026. (Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

Bowness replaced Dean Evason connected Jan. 12 arsenic the Blue Jackets sat successful past spot successful the Eastern Conference. But helium rapidly changed things around, and Columbus went 18-2-4 successful his archetypal 24 games. 

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The Blue Jackets recovered themselves successful a playoff spot, but arsenic rapidly arsenic things had changed for the better, they went 3-9-1 down the agelong to miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.

"Some of those guys are truthful fortunate the season's implicit and there's nary signifier tomorrow," Bowness said, aboriginal adding, "Inexcusable. If they're not embarrassed by not lone contiguous – by that – they're connected the incorrect team." 

Columbus Blue Jackets caput manager Rick Bowness coaches against the New York Rangers during the 2nd play astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York, N.Y., connected 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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