Darche bolsters NY Islanders front office with hire of Ryan Bowness as Assistant GM

It's not yet out with the old, but it's in with the new.

The New York Islanders announced Monday that they named Ryan Bowness assistant general manager and director of player personnel, continuing a series of front office changes under newly appointed general manager Mathieu Darche.

Bowness, 41, joins the Islanders after three seasons with the Ottawa Senators, where he most recently served as associate general manager. Prior to his time in Ottawa, Bowness spent six seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, including a role as director of professional scouting during the team’s 2017 Stanley Cup run.

In his new role with the Islanders, Bowness will oversee the club’s pro scouting operations and have significant input in player personnel decisions. He is also expected to play a key role in bridging the gap between the NHL roster and the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, a key area of focus for the organization as it looks to bolster its player development pipeline. “Ryan brings a wealth of experience in professional scouting and hockey operations,” Darche said in a statement. “His leadership and vision for player development will be invaluable as we continue building a competitive and sustainable team.”

The son of longtime NHL coach Rick Bowness, who coached 100 games on Long Island over two seasons from 1996-98. Ryan played collegiate hockey at St. Mary’s University in Halifax before beginning his executive career in scouting and hockey operations. The hire comes a couple of weeks after the Islanders formally introduced Darche as general manager, replacing Lou Lamoriello. The team has signaled a renewed emphasis on modernizing its hockey operations structure and improving its developmental system, and this move reflects that.