- May 21, 2026
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Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness didn’t mince words after the team’s 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers Tuesday night.
“You have to hope, you got to believe that performance tonight will embarrass them enough to stop this, right?” Bowness told reporters after the game, according to The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig. “Because if they’re not embarrassed by that, we don’t want them on the team. It’s as simple as that.”
The Blue Jackets had a 1-0 lead after the first period, but Brady Tkachuk recorded a natural hat trick in the second. Each of his three goals were assisted by his brother Matthew. Brady finished with three goals and an assist, while Matthew had five assists.
Both Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe had two goals. Kent Johnson, Denton Mateychuk and Cole Sillinger scored for the Blue Jackets.
Columbus has now lost three of their last four games and are 2-3-0 through their first handful of games this season.
It’s not the first time Bowness laid into the group since he took over behind the bench midway through the 2025-26 campaign. After the team’s final regular-season game last spring, he criticized the players and flagged the issues he perceived during his first four months with the group.
“I don’t know if I’m back, but if I’m back, I’m changing this culture. These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them,” Bowness said in April.
“How can you go out and play like that? (I) should have done this about a month ago, but this is why we are where we are. This is why we’re out of the playoffs, that kind of effort. Losing, you have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game.”
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“You have to hope, you got to believe that performance tonight will embarrass them enough to stop this, right?” Bowness told reporters after the game, according to The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig. “Because if they’re not embarrassed by that, we don’t want them on the team. It’s as simple as that.”
The Blue Jackets had a 1-0 lead after the first period, but Brady Tkachuk recorded a natural hat trick in the second. Each of his three goals were assisted by his brother Matthew. Brady finished with three goals and an assist, while Matthew had five assists.
Both Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe had two goals. Kent Johnson, Denton Mateychuk and Cole Sillinger scored for the Blue Jackets.
Columbus has now lost three of their last four games and are 2-3-0 through their first handful of games this season.
Bowness slammed team after 2025-26 season
It’s not the first time Bowness laid into the group since he took over behind the bench midway through the 2025-26 campaign. After the team’s final regular-season game last spring, he criticized the players and flagged the issues he perceived during his first four months with the group.
“I don’t know if I’m back, but if I’m back, I’m changing this culture. These guys, they don’t care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them,” Bowness said in April.
“How can you go out and play like that? (I) should have done this about a month ago, but this is why we are where we are. This is why we’re out of the playoffs, that kind of effort. Losing, you have to hate losing. I don’t care if it’s a meaningless game.”
Continue reading...