Lightning fire associate coach Bowness, mutually part with assistant Lauer

The Tampa Bay Lightning are making a couple of changes behind the bench.

Associate coach Rick Bowness was dismissed and assistant coach Brad Lauer agreed to part ways with the club, it was announced Thursday.

Bowness had been with the Lightning since June 2013, overseeing the defense and penalty kill. He has coached more than 2,000 NHL games, largely in an assistant or associate capacity.

Lauer joined the team in 2015 after spending four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks.