Scott Arniel has been named the fifth head coach in Winnipeg Jets 2.0 history, the team announced Friday.
Winnipeg hired Arniel, 61, as an associate coach to work under Rick Bowness in 2022 after he first interviewed for the head coaching position.
OFFICIAL ✍️
Scott Arniel has been appointed as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets! pic.twitter.com/e1EnRQ1e9h
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 24, 2024
Arniel has been responsible for Winnipeg’s defensemen and penalty kill over two seasons, while being called into interim head coaching duties on multiple occasions: First, during Bowness’ COVID-19 illness in 2022-23, then again when Bowness left the Jets to be with his wife, Judy, following a seizure in October and finally in March when Bowness left the team for a minor medical procedure. Arniel’s 10-5-2 head coaching record in 2023-24 gave him a playoff-worthy .647 points percentage.
In a lot of ways, this was always his job to lose. His associate coaching position was decided before Bowness’ hiring, with a sense that the Jets were considering a succession plan when Bowness eventually moved on. Arniel’s work in spot duty gave players a sense of confidence, while his media work following the death of Adam Johnson likely showed management that he was ready for the…
