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Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Rick Bowness has reportedly signed a contract extension with the team, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Bowness originally joined the Lightning in 2013, taking responsibility for the teams defence and penalty kill during what was Jon Cooper’s first year as head coach of the team.

The 61-year-old continues to add to an impressive resume. He was named as the first head coach of the Ottawa Senators prior to the 1992-93 season, having previously served as Boston Bruins head coach and interim head coach of the Winnipeg Jets.

Bowness has also held assistant coaching jobs with the Jets, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks during a coaching career which dates back to 1982 when he became player-coach of the AHL Sherbrooke Jets, who were Winnipeg’s minor league affiliate at the time.

In 463 NHL games as head coach of the Jets, Bruins and Senators, he assembled a 123-289-48-3 record, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs whilst at the Bruins helm in 1991-92.

The Moncton, New Brunswick native also enjoyed a nine year professional playing career. Drafted by Atlanta in 1975, he represented the Flames, Jets, St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings at NHL level, also icing for the CHL Tulsa Oilers and Salt Lake Golden Eagles as well as the Nova Scotia Voyageurs and Sherbrooke in the AHL.

Bowness was rumoured to be a candidate for the vacant Anaheim Ducks head coaching position, but that role now looks set to go to former coach Randy Carlyle, who won a Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007.

Assistant coach Bowness reportedly signs extension with Lightning