In September, before the Winnipeg Jets set an NHL record with a 14-1-0 start to the season, there was a quiet day at their practice facility. The team’s skate had wrapped up, and any formal media sessions were done. After an in-depth discussion about analytics, team metrics, and measuring success, head coach Scott Arniel took a moment to reflect on the importance of gratitude and joy.
Arniel, who had coached numerous talented players throughout his career, including during a difficult first stint as head coach in Columbus, had reached the Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup Finals as an associate coach with the New York Rangers. But as he sat in an office chair overlooking the ice at Hockey For All Centre, he shared that his experience with the Jets the previous season was among the most fulfilling of his career.
“I’ll tell you that the 82 games last year were some of the most gratifying I’ve been part of,” Arniel said. “We faced some challenges, but when we hit a rough patch, it didn’t last long. We stayed even-keeled, never getting too high or too low. So, for me, it was a very rewarding regular season.”
As expected, this reflection was followed by the usual playoff disappointment. However, speaking in September—well after the playoffs and just before the Jets’ historic season start—Arniel expressed a deep sense of gratitude. He was thankful for the Jets, the players, and his own journey in reclaiming a head coaching role after a setback in Columbus. He had acknowledged before that he had been overly confident early in his career, thinking he knew it all. But now, Arniel felt he had learned valuable lessons over the course of his decade-long effort to rebuild his coaching career.
Then came the excitement. Arniel’s first game as head coach was a 6-0 victory over the previous year’s Stanley Cup finalists in Edmonton. The Jets went on to win eight straight to open the season, suffered just one loss to Toronto, and then, with the record for the best 15-game start in NHL history on the line, they delivered in front of a roaring, sold-out Canada Life Centre crowd. Fans chanted “U.S. backup!” at Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger after Winnipeg’s third goal and repeated it louder when Nikolaj Ehlers scored to make it 4-0. The game ended with a standing ovation, and the record was officially announced in the arena.
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