The following THN Archive story by Jon Waldman takes a look back upon Scott Arniel’s second stint in Winnipeg – a timely piece with the Jets’ recent decision to hire Arniel as the team’s newest head coach.
Arniel, Winnipeg a Good Match
By Jon Waldman
“While the lockout continues to keep team employees out of NHL arenas, several are taking the opportunity to explore other shinny venues. One such person is Buffalo Sabres assistant coach Scott Arniel.
Arniel has been taking time during the lockout to sit in the pressbox at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre and check out American League talent. While one might expect the Kingston, Ont., native to be around the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, he has instead positioned himself where he can check out more of the players he has yet to see.
“(In the Sabres’) situation – with Rochester being an hour away-1 don’t really need to be there because we have so many staff there right now,” said Arniel, selected 22nd overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL entry draft. “We have guys there at almost every practice, we have guys down there for all the games.
“So I’ve been coming to the Moose games, watching some of the teams I haven’t seen in a while, getting familiar with some of the players I’ve never seen—or maybe some of the ones I’ve seen in years past and I check on their growth.”
GLORY-FILLED JUNIOR CAREER
Arniel’s junior career was glorious, as he won two Memorial Cups with the Ontario League’s Cornwall Royals and was part of Team Canada’s World Junior Championship-winning team in 1982. He started his NHL career with the Jets in 1981-82, but was dealt to the Sabres four years later. After four seasons in Buffalo, where his two-way skills helped the Sabres become one of the league’s premier defensive teams, Arniel was traded back to Winnipeg before the 1990-91 season.