Blue Jackets Coach Rick Bowness Sends a Clear Message: It's Time to Get Into the Fight
COLUMBUS, Ohio - If there was any doubt about the message Rick Bowness is trying to send to his young Columbus Blue Jackets squad, it was erased at the end of Wednesday’s practice. As players began to drift off the ice, Bowness gathered four of the team’s top young forwards - Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, and Cole Sillinger - and delivered something that was part pep talk, part wake-up call.
“These guys haven’t been in the playoffs,” Bowness said. “They’ve got to understand how hard it is just to get there.
Every night matters. Every shift matters.
You’ve got to play hard, and you’ve got to recognize when you’re not.”
That message wasn’t just for the four players in the huddle - it was for the entire locker room. The Blue Jackets, still clinging to hopes of a second-half push, had just come off a sluggish 4-1 loss to Ottawa. A game that, by Bowness’ standards, lacked the urgency and physical edge required to compete in this league.
And with the Dallas Stars - one of the NHL’s more battle-tested teams - coming to town on Thursday, there’s no time to ease into things.
A Call to Compete
Bowness didn’t mince words. He’s not satisfied with the team’s level of engagement, especially when it comes to playing physically and protecting key areas of the ice. The message was clear: if the Blue Jackets want to be taken seriously, they need to start dragging themselves - and each other - into the fight.
He’s not talking about dropping the gloves or taking reckless penalties. He’s talking about the kind of hockey that wins games in the trenches: finishing checks, battling in front of the net, and refusing to give up easy ice.
Bowness pointed to players he’s coached before, leaders like Jamie Benn in Dallas and Mark Scheifele in Winnipeg, who didn’t just talk the talk - they pulled their teammates into the battle with them.
“Jamie Benn drags a lot of them into the fight,” Bowness said. “Scheifele did the same in Winnipeg. That’s what leadership looks like.”
Marchment Returns, and He’s Bringing the Grit
If the Jackets needed a jolt, they might be getting one in the form of Mason Marchment. Back at practice on Wednesday and set to return to the lineup against Dallas, Marchment brings more than just sandpaper - he’s been productive, too, with five goals in seven games since being acquired from Seattle.
On Wednesday, he skated on the top line with Fantilli and Marchenko, a clear sign that Bowness is counting on him to set the tone.
“My game is getting into other guys’ faces,” Marchment said. “If I’m not doing that, I’m not engaged.”
That edge has always been part of Marchment’s identity. He even joked that he was “a better rat” earlier in his career - a nod to the agitator role that helped him break into the league. Now, with more polish and offensive upside, he’s being asked to lead by example.
But Bowness was quick to point out that it can’t just be Marchment or Mathieu Olivier doing the dirty work. The expectation is that everyone brings that edge.
“That’s going to be (Marchment’s) job, but it’s not one guy,” Bowness said. “We need everybody in the fight. When we don’t play that way, we talk about it.”
The Pain of Playing the Right Way
There’s a reason not every team plays the kind of hard-nosed, relentless hockey Bowness is preaching - it hurts. Literally.
Years ago, former Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock summed it up perfectly: “It hurts to play this game, at this level, the right way.”
That quote still holds up. And Bowness knows it.
But he’s not backing off the demand. He’s not sure yet if this group can be molded into a team that thrives in the grind, but he’s going to keep pushing.
“I’m not going to walk around holding their hand all day,” he said. “They signed pro contracts. There’s responsibility that comes with that - and that’s preparation.”
The Blue Jackets have stumbled out of the gate in each of their last two games. Bowness doesn’t want to see it happen again. Against a team like Dallas, the first 10 minutes will say a lot about whether the message is sinking in.
A Milestone and a Moment
Thursday’s game will carry extra meaning for veteran center Charlie Coyle, who’s set to play in his 1,000th NHL game. Coyle has quickly earned respect in the room, and his milestone is a reminder of the kind of professionalism and consistency Bowness wants his younger players to emulate.
But milestones or not, the mission remains the same: show up ready, compete from the drop of the puck, and make life miserable for the opponent.
If the Blue Jackets are serious about clawing their way back into the playoff picture, the time for talk is over. The fight starts now.