Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness is stepping away from the bench while his wife Judy remains in hospital following a seizure.

The Jets sent out a release Monday morning, saying that Judy suffered a seizure on Sunday evening. She was taken to hospital where she remains while undergoing further testing.

The hockey club says that Rick will take a leave of absence to be with his wife. Associate coach Scott Arniel will serve as the interim head coach until Rick is able to return.

Arniel has been in this situation before, after Rick contracted Covid-19 at the start of last season and missed several games as a result.

"Everybody is certainly feeling it," Arniel said at a press conference Monday afternoon. "It’s family here. It’s part of what we talk about all of the time." Arniel said the entire organization is thinking of and praying for Judy and their extended family.

The club has asked for privacy on the family's behalf.

The Jets are next in action on Tuesday night when they host the St. Louis Blues. They got back into the win column with a hard-fought overtime victory on Saturday evening in Edmonton against the Oilers. The Jets are currently below .500, with a 2-3 start on the season.

Arniel said that the team will be working hard in the coach's absence so that "we don't let Rick down; that we go out here and play like we need to play for him and do everything we can to get the two points.”