Working your desired job in the hockey world is never a guarantee. Winnipeg Jets’ head coach Scott Arniel knows this fact firsthand. He thought he’d never get another chance as a head coach in the National Hockey league.
Arniel’s path back to being a head coach was full of uncertainty. But he’s now at the helm of the best team in the NHL. At 9-1-0, the Jets sit on top the league standings while outscoring their opponents by 2.5 goals per game.
Arniel’s story is one of learning a hard lesson, being humbled and then working their way back to earn another chance despite never being guaranteed that chance would come.
Arniel’s Blue Jackets Tenure
To say that things didn’t go according to plan for Arniel and the Blue Jackets would be a massive understatement. In 123 games, he was only able to lead the team to 45 wins while going through one of the darkest stretches in franchise history.
Arniel’s dismissal came as a result of not only poor performance, but numerous public exchanges that turned nasty. Once considered a rising star in coaching, he found himself clearly overwhelmed making the jump to the NHL.
Some of Arniel’s most memorable “moments” as Blue Jackets’ head coach came in ways anyone wouldn’t want to be remembered for. There were fights with the media. There were fights with his own players. Players didn’t like the way he ran things.
After going 34-35-13 in his first season with the Blue Jackets in 2010-11, Arniel led the team to just 11 wins in the first half of the 2011-12 season. Then GM Scott Howson fired Arniel at that point.
The Blue Jackets were expected to take the next step given they traded for Jeff Carter and signed James Wisniewski. Except Carter broke his foot and then Wisniewski was suspended. They spent the season in the basement as a result not winning a game until Game 9.
Earning Another Chance
Usually, coaches that go through Arniel’s situation either need to find a new career or settle for a job in a lesser role. To his credit, he never gave up. He knew it would take a lot of work and some luck to get a second chance.
It took over 12 years. But Arniel did the work necessary to get another chance. It took time in the AHL and in various assistant roles to get there. It was his stop with the Rangers that started him back on the right road.
After his Blue Jackets’ dismissal, Arniel was hired to coach AHL Chicago. He then followed Alain Vigneault to the Rangers. That’s where he reunited with former Blue Jackets’ Rick Nash, Derick Brassard and Derek Dorsett.
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Arniel lasted five seasons in New York before being fired in a house cleaning at the top. The next season, he was hired as an assistant with the Washington Capitals. He replaced Lane Lambert. This was just after the Capitals lifted the Stanley Cup.
Arniel then came over to the Jets to work under Rick Bowness. Arniel was the Jets’ associate coach for two seasons and acted as the interim head coach when Bowness had to step away from the team on multiple occasions. Finally in May, Arniel was hired as the permanent head coach to replace Bowness.
Lessons Learned
Arniel’s career is a lesson in thinking they knew too much, being humbled while in the spotlight and then grinding away for years to get back in the good graces. He comes back to Columbus on Friday night a changed man.
Arniel has a new perspective thanks to his experiences. He’s much better at building and keeping relationships. He’s also better at communicating with his players.
Sometimes, it takes hitting rock bottom to realize you need to change. Arniel hit rock bottom after his brief tenure with the Blue Jackets. He’s now leading one of the most fun team in the NHL.
The lesson here? If you want something in life, it’s never guaranteed. But it takes continuous hard work, dedication and passion to stay with it. It also takes some luck along the way.
Arniel did what he had to do. His Blue Jackets’ experience while awful in the moment gave him the perspective needed to be a good coach in today’s NHL.
Arniel paid the price. Now he’s showing why many thought of him as a rising star a decade ago.