Islanders name Ryan Bowness assistant general manager, director of player personnel

The New York Islanders announced Monday that Ryan Bowness has been named both assistant general manager and the director of player personnel.

Bowness spent the previous three seasons with the Ottawa Senators, serving as an assistant general manager between 2022-23 and 2023-24, then as associate general manager in 2024-25. He also spent six season with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a professional scout, as well as director of pro scouting, between 2016-17 and 2017-18. He won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2017.

Before joining Pittsburgh, the 41-year-old Bowness spent seven seasons with the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers franchise, serving as a pro scout, manager of hockey operations and manager of player development.

As a player, Bowness was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the eighth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Brampton Battalion and Oshawa Generals, then spent four seasons playing Canadian University hockey with St. Mary’s University. He also played one season in the ECHL with the Ontario Reign in 2008-09.

Bowness is the son of retired NHL coach Rick Bowness, who served as the Islanders’ bench boss between 1996 and 1998.

The Islanders went 35-35-12 with 82 points, sixth in the Metropolitan Division and nine points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference Wild Card.

Bo Horvat led the team in points with 57 (28 goals and 29 assists), while Anders Lee wasn’t far behind with 54 points (29 goals and 25 assists).

Last month, the Islanders won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery and were awarded with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.