Bowness calls out one of his star players and demotes him to the 4th line

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Marvin Azrak
February 15, 2024 (0:01)

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Photo credit: Jonathan Kozub

Tonight, Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness made a surprising move during his team's 1-0 win over the San Jose Sharks by demoting one of his star players, Nikolaj Ehlers, to the fourth line and promoting Alex Iafallo What's even more surprising is that it happened on Ehlers' birthday.

Bowness explained his decision, stating,

I just didn't like what I was seeing from that top line." He clarified that the demotion wasn't directly related to a third-period mistake but rather to the overall performance leading up to that moment.

While Ehlers is undoubtedly a valuable asset to the team, it seems he's sometimes underutilized. Many believe he should see more ice time due to his positive impact on the game.

However, Bowness appears to be quick to shuffle the top line, often opting for other players in critical moments. This decision raises questions about Bowness' trust in Ehlers late in games.

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