“We looked at each other and said, ‘We’re not done playing hockey yet,” Nikolaj Ehlers recalled as the Winnipeg Jets trudged into the locker room, down 3-1 to the St. Louis Blues after two periods in Game 7. No one was ready to call it quits. That fire fueled a jaw-dropping 4-3 double overtime win at Canada Life Centre on Sunday, finally snapping the Jets’ first-round playoff curse and sending them to face the Dallas Stars in Round 2 on Wednesday.
The double overtime thriller was a microcosm of playoff hockey—nerves, pressure, and pure elation. It also echoed the recent 4 Nations Face-Off, where Blues goalie Jordan Binnington outdueled Hellebuyck in overtime. This time, the Jets flipped the script. As Arniel and Blues coach Jim Montgomery shook hands, they acknowledged the series’ intensity.
For years, the Jets have stumbled out of the gate in the postseason, with first-round exits haunting them, including a gut-wrenching one last year despite a strong season. This time, though, they entered as the top seed, clutching the Presidents’ Trophy. Still, head coach Scott Arniel couldn’t shake the nerves. “The hardest thing in the NHL is to win the first round. It really is,” Arniel admitted in the post-game press conference. “You build confidence as you can, but it’s so hard to get through that first round. There’s a lot of doubt at times, there’s obviously lots of excitement, but for our group, just for me in the sense of being here in just the three years, to lose in those first rounds, those were heartbreaking.”
Arniel’s message to his team was clear: leave it all on the ice. “Last year, obviously with the season we had, to do it this year we didn’t want to go out,” he said. “That was one of the messages I said to these guys, ‘Bring your best game forward and have no regrets,’ and that’s what it was all about.” That grit showed in the final moments of regulation. With two minutes left and goalie Connor Hellebuyck pulled, Vladislav Namestnikov clawed the Winnipeg Jets back to 3-2. Then, with just three seconds to go, Cole Perfetti, a postseason rookie, buried the equalizer, sending the arena into a frenzy.
For Arniel, this win is more than a playoff breakthrough—it’s a full-circle redemption. After 12 years of wondering if he’d ever coach again, battling doubt so heavy his family endured a “grumpy” version of him, he’s back with the Jets, the team he once played for. Now, as a Jack Adams Trophy finalist, Arniel’s fire, tempered by time, is burning brighter than ever.
Jets Coach Scott Arniel nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy
Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been named one of three finalists for the Jack Adams Trophy, recognizing the NHL’s most outstanding coach, as announced by the league on Friday. The nomination, voted on by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, places Arniel alongside Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens and Spencer Carbery of the Washington Capitals. “It’s a tremendous honour and I’m appreciative,” Arniel said during a press conference in St. Louis.
In his inaugural season as the Jets’ bench boss, Arniel led the team to a remarkable 56-22-4 record, securing the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top regular-season team—the first in franchise history. This performance ranks among the most successful debut seasons for a head coach in NHL history, with only three others—Jim Montgomery (65 wins, Boston, 2022-23), Mike Babcock (58 wins, Detroit, 2005-06), and Tom Johnson (57 wins, Boston, 1970-71)—surpassing Arniel’s 56 victories.
Arniel’s leadership propelled the Jets to an NHL-best 26 road wins (26-15-0) and established a franchise record for the most overall victories in a single season. His team made history by becoming the first in the NHL to win 15 of their first 16 games, with Arniel setting a league record as the first coach to win his first eight games with a new team.
The Winnipeg Jets’ dominant season under Arniel’s guidance highlights his strategic acumen and ability to galvanize a talented roster. As the Jack Adams Trophy race narrows, Arniel’s transformative impact in Winnipeg positions him as a strong contender for the award, which will be decided later in the season. For now, the nomination serves as a testament to his exceptional first-year success and the Jets’ historic campaign.
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