Winnipeg Jets promote Scott Arniel to head coach

TSN’s Darren Dreger broke the news, also mentioning that the Jets conducted interviews with some top candidates before making the decision to make Arniel the new bench boss.

Arniel was hired as an associate coach under Rick Bowness in 2022. Under Bowness, the Jets advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in both seasons, losing in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights (2023) and Colorado Avalanche (2024). Arniel filled in as an interim coach when Bowness had to take leave from the team twice this past season. Winnipeg went 11-5-2 under Arniel.

Bowness announced his retirement from coaching earlier this month.

This will not be the first time the Kingston, Ontario native has been a head coach in the NHL. Arniel was behind the bench with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2010 to partway through the 2011-12 campaign. He went 45-60-18 over that span, with the Blue Jackets missing the playoffs both seasons.

Arniel has been coaching around the league in various roles over the last 21 years. He broke into the NHL as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres in 2002, working under Lindy Ruff for three seasons. He was also an associate with the New York Rangers under Alain Vigneault from 2013 to 2018, before joining the Washington Capitals, working with Todd Rierdan and Peter Laviolette across four seasons.

The 61-year-old played with the Winnipeg Jets from 1981 to 1986, returning to the team for the 1990-91 season. In his 730-game playing career in the NHL, which saw him also play with the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, Arniel scored 149 goals and 189 assists, including 39 points in 34 playoff games.

Arniel also played for and coached the Manitoba Moose in Winnipeg. He was on the ice with the Moose in the now-defunct International Hockey League from 1996 to 1999, and was the head coach of the team from 2006 to 2010 while the team was the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks.