Jets Head Coach Scott Arniel Early Favourite For Jack Adams Award in NHL.com Vote

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Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been ranked first in the Jack Adams Award race by an NHL.com broadcasters vote.

To mark the 2024-25 season approaching its quarter mark, 15 NHL.com broadcasters assigned points on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis on who they believe is deserving of the title of the league’s top coach thus far. The ultimate winner is determined by a vote by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.

The NHL.com broadcasters gave Arniel a whopping 72 points, 24 more than Washington Capitals’ head coach Spencer Carbery, who received the second-most points with 48. The Minnesota Wild’s John Hynes (35 points,) Carolina Hurricanes’ Rod Brind’Amour (32 points,) and New Jersey Devils’ Sheldon Keefe (20 points) rounded out the top five.

Arniel Has Jets First in the League

Arniel’s first year as Jets’ bench boss has been outrageous thus far. He got off to the best-ever start to a head-coaching tenure in NHL history by winning his first eight games and has led the club to a 15-3-0 record, which is good for first in the Central Division and entire NHL. The Jets have benefitted from a balanced offensive attack, strong special teams, and great goaltending.

The team has lost their past two games, but set a new NHL record by winning 14 of their first 15 (and actually won 15 of their first 16.) Their 30 points through 17 contests was fewer than only the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres and 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks, who had 31 points each.

Arniel previously served as associate coach under the now-retired Rick Bowness for the past two seasons. He was named the fourth coach in Jets 2.0 history in late May.

Scott Arniel Winnipeg Jets
Scott Arniel, Head Coach of the Winnipeg Jets (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)

There is still a long way to go in the season, but if the Jets continue to play to their strengths and identity, Arniel could certainly be the first Jets head coach to win the Jack Adams since 1989-90, when Bob Murdoch won it. Vancouver Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet won the award last season.

The Jets are back in action tonight at Canada Life Centre in the second half of a home-and-home with the Florida Panthers. They will attempt to get back into the win column after being pummeled 5-0 by the defending Stanley Cup champion in Florida on Nov. 16.