# Scotty Bowman

William Scott Bowman OC (born September 18, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey head coach. He holds the record for most wins in National Hockey League (NHL) history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and his 14 Stanley Cup wins ranks second most of all time for any player, coach or executive. He coached the St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings. He was most recently the senior advisor of hockey operations for the Chicago Blackhawks, until stepping down in July 2022. Bowman is often regarded as the greatest coach in NHL history.
As head coach, Bowman has won a record nine Stanley Cup championships; five with the Canadiens (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979), one with the Penguins (1992) and three with the Red Wings (1997, 1998, and 2002). He has also won the Stanley Cup five times as a member of an organization's front office. He was director of player development for the 1991 Penguins, consultant with the 2008 Detroit Red Wings, and senior advisor of hockey operations for the 2010, 2013, and 2015 Chicago Blackhawks. Bowman is the only NHL coach to lead three teams to Stanley Cup victories. Bowman won the Jack Adams Award in 1977 and 1996. In the 1976–77 season, he won a record 60 games, breaking his own record of 58 wins the year before. He broke his own record again in the 1995–1996 season, with 62 wins; overall, he held the record for 46 years, until 2023. His eight losses in 1976–77 are a modern record for the fewest defeats incurred. His teams also made it to the Stanley Cup Finals a record 13 times and the semifinals a record 16 times.

## Career

Bowman played junior league hockey with the Montreal Junior Canadiens until a fractured skull, resulting from repeated intentional slashes by Jean-Guy Talbot during the 1951 playoffs, ended his long term playing aspirations.
Bowman started coaching, in 1956, as an assistant to head coach Sam Pollock with the Ottawa-Hull Canadiens in the Quebec Junior Hockey League. The following season, as head coach, Bowman's team won the 1958 Memorial Cup. Soon thereafter, he moved into a coaching job with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHA), the Montreal Canadiens' junior farm team.

### St. Louis Blues

Bowman moved into the NHL in 1967 when he joined the expansion St. Louis Blues as an assistant coach under general manager and head coach Lynn Patrick. However, Patrick resigned as coach after a slow start, and Bowman took over at age 34. The Blues made it to the Stanley Cup finals in their first three years of existence as Western Conference (Expansion) champs. Bowman assumed general manager duties after Patrick gave up that job in the summer of 1968. Bowman remained in St. Louis until the end of the 1970–71 season but left due to a dispute with team ownership.

### Montreal Canadiens

Al MacNeil, took over as head coach in of the Montreal Canadiens in December 1970 and lead them to a Stanley Cup victory, but in the process alienated many fans when he benched Henri Richard in the Cup finals. A few weeks after winning the 1971 Stanley Cup, MacNeil decided to resign as the head coach and become both the general manager and coach of the Canadiens' main farm team, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. Bowman was hired the same day that MacNeil resigned and joined the Canadiens as head coach on June 10, 1971. General manager Sam Pollock hired Bowman, in part, because he was fluently bilingual in English and French. His team lost in the first round of the playoffs in 1972 but won the Stanley Cup in 1973. The Canadiens would make the playoffs over the next two seasons but lost in the first and third rounds, as the Philadelphia Flyers won the Stanley Cup.
From 1976 to 1979, Bowman won four consecutive Stanley Cups with a talented Canadiens squad that included Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson, and Ken Dryden. Bowman's team won at least 45 games in each of his eight seasons. However, after a falling-out with ownership, Bowman stepped down after the 1978–79 season. The reason for the falling-out was the team's decision to pass him over as the new general manager of the club in September 1978, as they hired Irving Grundman, a Pollock protégé, instead. The Canadiens' dynasty ended after Bowman and several key players left the team. Bowman remains second all-time in Canadiens history in both wins and winning percentage, behind Toe Blake in both categories.
Not only did Bowman and general manager Sam Pollock preside together over a Canadiens dynasty, but also many of their players went on to have successful coaching and managing roles with their own teams.

### Buffalo Sabres

For the 1979–80 season, Bowman moved to the Buffalo Sabres as coach and general manager. He served as the team's general manager until 1987, doubling as coach on three separate occasions. During this time, he missed the playoffs for the only time in his coaching career, in the 1985–86 season. In his first year, he hired former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach, Roger Neilson to be his associate coach. For the 1980–81 season, Neilson became the head coach and Bowman focused on being the general manager. A dispute arose on how the team should be coached, forcing Neilson to part ways with the team in June 1981, and Bowman resumed being both coach and general manager.
Bowman joined the Sabres around the same time that their stars were growing old. While the Sabres remained competitive for much of his tenure, he was unable to build them into anything approaching the powerhouses he had coached in Montreal. Bowman resigned during the 1986–87 season and was replaced by Gerry Meehan 12 games into the season. He left the Sabres as coach with the most wins in their history; he has since been passed by Lindy Ruff. He then become the color commentator for the CBC's Hockey Night in Canada usually alongside Don Wittman.

### Pittsburgh Penguins

He became the director of player personnel of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991 as a builder.
In the summer, Bob Johnson, who had just won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins, was diagnosed with brain cancer, forcing him to step down before he died on November 26, 1991. Bowman took over as the team's head coach where the Penguins repeated as Stanley Cup champions in a season dedicated to Johnson.
The next season, the Penguins had their first 100-point season in franchise history and finished with the league's best record. The 1992–93 Penguins under Bowman set the NHL record for consecutive wins in the regular season with 17. Their 119 points is still a franchise record. In the playoffs, the Penguins were upset in seven games in the Patrick Division finals by the New York Islanders coached by Al Arbour, a former Bowman player with the Blues.
After his two seasons as head coach in Pittsburgh, he was offered a long-term deal by the club. However, he indicated that he was not interested in their initial offer, which was not disclosed to the public, so they rescinded it. "We have to get somebody who wants to coach this team," Penguins owner Howard Baldwin said. "Scotty was clearly looking elsewhere."

### Detroit Red Wings

In 1993–94, Bowman became coach of the Detroit Red Wings, and led them to a first-place finish in the Western Conference, but his Red Wings were ousted in the first round by the San Jose Sharks. According to an apocryphal story, Bowman had difficulty in the maze-like tunnels of the San Jose Arena, eventually having to be rescued after getting lost and twice locking himself into rooms.
In 1995, the Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, their first finals appearance in 29 years, but were swept by the New Jersey Devils in four straight. In the 1995–96 regular season, he won a record 62 games. However, they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals.
In the 1997 playoffs, Bowman led the team to its first Stanley Cup in 42 years by sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers 4–0. The Red Wings repeated the feat the following season (1998) by defeating the Washington Capitals in four games.
In 1999 and 2000, they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference semifinals, and in 2001 they were eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round.
Bowman decided in February 2002 that he would retire at the end of the season, and he went out as a winner as his Red Wings won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes, four games to one. During the presentation of the Cup on the ice, Bowman put on an old pair of skates so he could take a lap with the Cup. He then publicly announced his retirement from coaching. At the time of his retirement, he was second on the Red Wings' all-time wins list, behind Jack Adams. He is now third, behind Adams and Mike Babcock.
Bowman received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2002.

### Team Canada

Bowman has coached the Canada men's national ice hockey team at the international level twice in his career. In the 1976 Canada Cup his team won gold over Czechoslovakia and silver in the 1981 Canada Cup against the Soviet Union.

## Coaching record

| Team | Year | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Postseason | Postseason | Postseason | Postseason |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result |
| STL | 1967–68 | 58 | 23 | 21 | 14 | — | 70 | 3rd in West | 8 | 10 | .444 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (MTL) |
| STL | 1968–69 | 76 | 37 | 25 | 14 | — | 88 | 1st in West | 8 | 4 | .667 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (MTL) |
| STL | 1969–70 | 76 | 37 | 27 | 12 | — | 86 | 1st in West | 8 | 8 | .500 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (BOS) |
| STL | 1970–71 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 5 | — | (31) | (resigned) | — | — | — | — |
| STL total | STL total | 238 | 110 | 83 | 45 | — | 265 | | 24 | 22 | .522 | 4 playoff appearances |
| MTL | 1971–72 | 78 | 46 | 16 | 16 | — | 108 | 3rd in East | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in quarterfinals (NYR) |
| MTL | 1972–73 | 78 | 52 | 10 | 16 | — | 120 | 1st in East | 12 | 5 | .706 | Won Stanley Cup (CHI) |
| MTL | 1973–74 | 78 | 45 | 24 | 9 | — | 99 | 2nd in East | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in quarterfinals (NYR) |
| MTL | 1974–75 | 80 | 47 | 14 | 19 | — | 113 | 1st in Norris | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost in semifinals (BUF) |
| MTL | 1975–76 | 80 | 58 | 11 | 11 | — | 127 | 1st in Norris | 12 | 1 | .923 | Won Stanley Cup (PHI) |
| MTL | 1976–77 | 80 | 60 | 8 | 12 | — | 132 | 1st in Norris | 12 | 2 | .857 | Won Stanley Cup (BOS) |
| MTL | 1977–78 | 80 | 59 | 10 | 11 | — | 129 | 1st in Norris | 12 | 3 | .800 | Won Stanley Cup (BOS) |
| MTL | 1978–79 | 80 | 52 | 17 | 11 | — | 115 | 1st in Norris | 12 | 4 | .750 | Won Stanley Cup (NYR) |
| MTL total | MTL total | 634 | 419 | 110 | 105 | — | 943 | | 70 | 28 | .714 | 8 playoff appearances 5 Stanley Cup titles |
| BUF | 1979–80 | 80 | 47 | 17 | 16 | — | 110 | 1st in Adams | 9 | 5 | .643 | Lost in semifinals (NYI) |
| BUF | 1981–82 | 35 | 18 | 10 | 7 | — | 43 | 3rd in Adams | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost in Division semifinals (BOS) |
| BUF | 1982–83 | 80 | 38 | 29 | 13 | — | 89 | 3rd in Adams | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost in Division finals (BOS) |
| BUF | 1983–84 | 80 | 48 | 25 | 7 | — | 103 | 2nd in Adams | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in Division semifinals (QUE) |
| BUF | 1984–85 | 80 | 38 | 28 | 14 | — | 90 | 3rd in Adams | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost in Division semifinals (QUE) |
| BUF | 1985–86 | 37 | 18 | 18 | 1 | — | 37 | 5th in Adams | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| BUF | 1986–87 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | 8 | (fired) | — | — | — | — |
| BUF total | BUF total | 404 | 210 | 134 | 60 | — | 480 | | 18 | 18 | .500 | 5 playoff appearances |
| PIT | 1991–92 | 80 | 39 | 32 | 9 | — | 87 | 3rd in Patrick | 16 | 5 | .762 | Won Stanley Cup (CHI) |
| PIT | 1992–93 | 84 | 56 | 21 | 7 | — | 119 | 1st in Patrick | 7 | 5 | .583 | Lost in Division finals (NYI) |
| PIT total | PIT total | 164 | 95 | 53 | 16 | — | 206 | | 23 | 10 | .697 | 2 playoff appearances 1 Stanley Cup title |
| DET | 1993–94 | 84 | 46 | 30 | 8 | — | 100 | 1st in Central | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost in Conference quarterfinals (SJS) |
| DET | 1994–95 | 48 | 33 | 11 | 4 | — | 70 | 1st in Central | 12 | 6 | .667 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (NJD) |
| DET | 1995–96 | 82 | 62 | 13 | 7 | — | 131 | 1st in Central | 10 | 9 | .526 | Lost in Conference finals (COL) |
| DET | 1996–97 | 82 | 38 | 26 | 18 | — | 94 | 2nd in Central | 16 | 4 | .800 | Won Stanley Cup (PHI) |
| DET | 1997–98 | 82 | 44 | 23 | 15 | — | 103 | 2nd in Central | 16 | 6 | .727 | Won Stanley Cup (WSH) |
| DET | 1998–99 | 82 | 43 | 32 | 7 | — | 93 | 1st in Central | 6 | 4 | .600 | Lost in Conference semifinals (COL) |
| DET | 1999–2000 | 82 | 48 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 108 | 2nd in Central | 5 | 4 | .556 | Lost in Conference semifinals (COL) |
| DET | 2000–01 | 82 | 49 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 111 | 1st in Central | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conference quarterfinals (LAK) |
| DET | 2001–02 | 82 | 51 | 17 | 10 | 4 | 116 | 1st in Central | 16 | 7 | .696 | Won Stanley Cup (CAR) |
| DET total | DET total | 701 | 410 | 193 | 88 | 10 | 920 | | 86 | 48 | .642 | 9 playoff appearances 3 Stanley Cup titles |
| Total | Total | 2,141 | 1,244 | 573 | 314 | 10 | 2,814 | | 223 | 130 | .632 | 28 playoff appearances 9 Stanley Cup titles |

## Retirement

In 2003, Bowman was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Since his retirement as coach in 2002, Bowman worked as a special consultant to the Red Wings. On August 3, 2007, it was reported that Bowman was offered the position of President of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bowman later appeared in an interview on Hockey Night in Canada on January 12, 2008, confirming that he was very close to taking the job only to be turned away by Richard Peddie, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE). In July 2008, he took a position as senior advisor of hockey operations for the Chicago Blackhawks to work alongside his son Stan Bowman, who was the general manager. The Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victory in 2010 gave Bowman his 12th Stanley Cup including coaching and team management, and the Blackhawks' 2013, and 2015 Stanley Cup victories were Bowman's 13th and 14th respectively. Bowman stepped down from his advisory role in Chicago on July 1, 2022, saying that "it was time to move on."
In 2012, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada "for his contributions to hockey as a coach and mentor".
On February 8, 2017, it was announced that Bowman would receive Order of Hockey in Canada award in a ceremony on June 19.

## Personal life

As of January 2018, Bowman was living in Sarasota, Florida, attending all of the Tampa Bay Lightning home games in his role as the senior advisor of hockey operations for the Chicago Blackhawks, which were managed by his son Stan Bowman until October 26, 2021, when Stan resigned from the Blackhawks organization.