The Winnipeg Jets have promoted associate coach Scott Arniel to head coach, the team announced on Friday. Arniel will replace former Jets head coach Rick Bowness, who announced his retirement earlier this month.
Arniel has spent the past two seasons as the Jets associate coach. During that span, Winnipeg has accumulated a 98-57-9 record and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in both seasons. Arniel served as the Jets interim head coach on three occasions during the 2023-24 season when Bowness was away from the team due to family and medical reasons.
Arniel also tallied a 15-7-3 record as the team’s interim head coach in 25 games across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns.
The new Jets head coach has quite a bit of familiarity with the franchise. Arniel was selected by the Jets with the No. 22 overall pick in the 1981 NHL Draft. He ended up playing his first five professional seasons with the Jets, before returning for one final campaign in 1990-91.
In total, Arniel suited up for 730 games for the Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins, and racked up 338 points (149 goals & 189 assists) during his NHL career.
Arniel’s coaching career began as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Houston Aeros during the 1995-96 season. The 61-year old was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets as the franchise’s head coach in 2010, but ended up being fired during the 2011-12 season. He also spent five seasons as the head coach of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves from 2013 until 2018.
Arniel served as an assistant coach for the Washington Capitals for four seasons until being hired by the Jets.
