Kristen Bowness making big impact on family business with Mammoth

It was not a straight-line path to get here, with Kristen transitioning from physical education teacher to community hockey manager with the Lightning, where she also coached sled hockey, all the way to Utah, where she is also part of the grassroots level of the NHL & NHLPA Women’s Hockey Advancement Committee, which is in its sixth season of supporting the growth and expansion of girls and women in hockey.

It appears to be the perfect fit, and one that isn’t exactly out of place in the Bowness family. 

In addition to Rick and Kristen, Ricky’s son Ricky worked in media relations for the Detroit Red Wings, Ricky’s wife, Jodee, is the vice president of ticket sales and service for the Colorado Avalanche, and Rick’s other son, Ryan, is an assistant general manager for the New York Islanders. Though, as Kristen made sure to say, “Especially in our family, I have the fun job.”

It makes for lively conversation at family gatherings.

“Eventually it’ll get back to hockey,” Rick said. “We’re all connected to the NHL, so it’s unavoidable. We’re always wanting to know, how’s your organization doing? So we can talk family a lot, and eventually it’s going to go right back to hockey because that’s all of our true passion.”

For Kristen, though, it wasn’t a straight line to this point. When she was 6 and her father was coaching the Ottawa Senators, she issued a challenge: “I dared my family to not talk about hockey at the kitchen table, and that has yet to happen.”

“It’s who we are, it’s our lives,” Rick said, in answer. “It’s as simple as that.”

“It is our passion, for sure,” Kristen said. “And I think the best part, too, is we all just cheer each other on. Like we all want each other to succeed and especially since we’re all in different avenues and different departments within each organization, we just want each other to succeed and we’re all each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”

It’s clear that’s true. 

As the call was signing off, as Kristen and Rick Bowness were going their separate ways, back to their daily tasks for the Blue Jackets and the Mammoth, Rick left Kristen with three last words. 

“Call you later,” he said.