If any coach in the American Hockey League deserved a head job in the NHL, it’s Manitoba Moose boss Scott Arniel. Like Randy Carlyle and Alain Vigneault before him, Arniel has made the Moose one of the best teams in the AHL — even in those seasons when the Moose weren’t really that good (like 2009-2010 for instance).
And that’s why it was wonderful news when we heard this afternoon that Arniel had accepted an offer to become head coach of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets. The news conference in Columbus will be held at 11 a.m. CDT on Tuesday.
Arniel, who is 47, has been head coach of the Moose since the 2006-07 season. His record in Winnipeg has been sensational. He has never won fewer than 40 games, made the playoffs every year and took the Moose to the AHL final in 2009. His record in Winnipeg is 181-106-33.
He was also an excellent player. In 11 NHL seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins, he had 149 goals and 338 points.
Scott Arniel has all the tools to be a successful NHL coach. And if you consider the success Carlyle and Vigneault have had since leaving Winnipeg, it’s pretty obvious that a job as head coach of the Moose is just about the best training an NHL head coach could ever have.
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