Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness (left) and associate coach Scott Arniel talk to players against the San Jose Sharks during third period NHL action in Winnipeg on Monday March 6, 2023. Arniel was been named head coach of the Jets on Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Greenslade
WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Jets have named Scott Arniel as head coach.
He replaces Rick Bowness, who retired after the Jets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Colorado Avalanche.
The 61-year-old Arniel joined the Jets as an associate coach when Bowness was hired in July 2022.
Bowness and his staff led the Jets to the post-season in back-to-back seasons, but Winnipeg was eliminated in the first round both times.
Arniel had a 10-5-2 record this season filling in behind the bench for Bowness during two absences.
Arniel began his coaching career in 1995 after an 18-year pro-playing career and spent a season and a half as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
This report by The Canadian Press was first publishedMay 24, 2024.