Scotty Bowman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scotty BowmanOC |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1991 (Builder) | |||
Bowman in June 2006
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| Born | September 18, 1933 Verdun, Quebec, Canada |
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| Coached for | St. Louis Blues Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres Pittsburgh Penguins Detroit Red Wings |
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| Coaching career | 1956–2002 | ||
William Scott Bowman, born on September 18, 1933, is a famous Canadian former ice hockey head coach. Many people think he is the greatest coach in National Hockey League (NHL) history. He holds the record for the most wins in NHL history, with 1,244 wins in the regular season and 223 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Scotty Bowman has won the Stanley Cup nine times as a head coach. He won five times with the Montreal Canadiens (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979). He also won once with the Pittsburgh Penguins (1992) and three times with the Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998, and 2002). He is the only NHL coach to win the Stanley Cup with three different teams. Bowman also helped teams win the Stanley Cup five more times while working in their front office. He won the Jack Adams Award for best coach in 1977 and 1996.
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Scotty Bowman's Hockey Journey
Scotty Bowman played junior hockey with the Montreal Junior Canadiens. However, a serious skull injury during a game in 1951 ended his dream of playing professionally. This injury happened because of repeated hits from another player.
After his injury, Bowman started coaching in 1956. He first worked as an assistant coach for the Ottawa-Hull Canadiens. The next year, as head coach, his team won the 1958 Memorial Cup. He then coached the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League.
Coaching the St. Louis Blues
In 1967, Bowman joined the NHL with the St. Louis Blues. He started as an assistant coach. But soon, at just 34 years old, he became the head coach. The Blues were a new team, but Bowman led them to the Stanley Cup finals in their first three years! He also became the team's general manager in 1968. Bowman stayed with the Blues until 1971.
Leading the Montreal Canadiens
In 1971, Bowman became the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. He was hired because he could speak both English and French fluently. His team won the Stanley Cup in 1973.
From 1976 to 1979, Bowman led the Canadiens to win four Stanley Cups in a row! This was an amazing time for the team, with star players like Guy Lafleur and Ken Dryden. Bowman's teams won at least 45 games every season he coached them. He left the Canadiens after the 1979 season.
Time with the Buffalo Sabres
For the 1979-80 season, Bowman moved to the Buffalo Sabres. He was both the coach and the general manager. He coached the team at different times until 1987. During this period, he missed the playoffs only once in his coaching career. He left the Sabres as the coach with the most wins in their history at that time.
Winning with the Pittsburgh Penguins
In 1990, Bowman became the director of player personnel for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 1991, he was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport.
Later in 1991, the Penguins' coach, Bob Johnson, became very sick. Bowman took over as head coach. The Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup again in 1992, dedicating their win to Johnson. The next season, the Penguins had their best record ever, winning 17 games in a row! However, they lost in the playoffs that year. Bowman left the Penguins after two seasons.
Success with the Detroit Red Wings
In 1993, Bowman became the coach of the Detroit Red Wings. In 1995, he led them to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 29 years. They lost that series. In the 1995-96 season, his team won a record 62 games.
In 1997, Bowman led the Red Wings to win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years! They won again the next season in 1998. Bowman decided to retire at the end of the 2002 season. He retired as a winner, as his Red Wings won the Stanley Cup that year. He even put on skates to take a lap with the Cup after the win!
Coaching Achievements
Scotty Bowman also coached the Canada men's national ice hockey team. His team won gold in the 1976 Canada Cup and silver in the 1981 Canada Cup.
Life After Coaching
After retiring from coaching in 2002, Bowman continued to work in hockey. He was a special consultant for the Red Wings. In 2008, he became a senior advisor for the Chicago Blackhawks. He helped the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. This brought his total Stanley Cup wins (as a coach or in management) to 14! He stepped down from his role with the Blackhawks in July 2022.
In 2012, he was given the Order of Canada award for his amazing work in hockey. In 2017, he received the Order of Hockey in Canada award.
Personal Life
Scotty Bowman lives in Florida. He used to attend all the Tampa Bay Lightning home games as part of his job with the Chicago Blackhawks. His son, Stan Bowman, was the general manager for the Blackhawks until 2021.
Images for kids
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Bowman in June 2006
See also
In Spanish: Scotty Bowman para niños
