Arniel named AHL's Outstanding Coach

Published on April 7, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The Manitoba Moose, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, are pleased to announce Head Coach Scott Arniel has been named the winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the league's outstanding coach for 2008-09, as voted by coaches and members of the media in each of the league's 29 cities.

This season, Arniel guided the Moose to their second North Division regular season title in three seasons and has the team poised to possibly finish first overall in the entire AHL for the first time in their franchise history. For the third year in a row under the Kingston, ON native's tutelage, the Moose won over 45 games, setting a new franchise record with 49 wins so far. With three games still to play in the regular season, the Moose are currently only four points shy of tying their franchise mark for most points in a season with 104 (the record is 108 set in 1998-99 in the IHL). This year, the team also set new franchise standards for road wins with 24 and tied the record for the most home wins in franchise history with 25. Arniel, along with Assistant Coaches Jay Wells and Rick St. Croix, have accomplished all this while using 51 different players in their line-up - the second-most of any team in the AHL - including 14 who have also seen action in the National Hockey League.

In his three seasons as Moose Head Coach, Arniel is now 140-72-7-18 in 237 games. Previous to re-joining the Moose, Arniel native spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres. Before becoming the fifth head coach in Moose history, Arniel already had an extensive history with the Moose as both a player and coach. Arniel joined the Moose in their inaugural season in 1996-97 in the International Hockey League. He spent three seasons with the franchise as a player (1996-99), including the final two as team captain. In 222 games with the Moose as a player, Arniel finished with 67 goals and 104 assists for 171 points and 233 penalty minutes. Upon his retirement in 1999, Arniel remained with the Moose as an assistant coach from 2000 to 2002. During that span, the Moose compiled an overall record of 78-64-7-13.

Arniel's National Hockey League days are also closely tied to the city of Winnipeg, as the former Cornwall Royal and two-time Memorial Cup Champion was drafted in the second round, 22nd overall, in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. He played in 406 games with the Jets from 1981 to 1986 and 1990-91. During that time, he scored 80 goals and 112 assists for 192 points and 336 penalty minutes. Overall, Arniel played in 730 games in the NHL with Winnipeg, Buffalo, and Boston from 1981-1992. He scored 149 goals and 189 assists for 338 points and 599 penalty minutes. In 555 career games in both the IHL and AHL from 1991 to 1999, Arniel scored 201 goals and 474 points while collecting 713 penalty minutes with New Haven, Maine, San Diego, Houston, Utah, and Manitoba. Arniel won a Turner Cup in 1996 while with the Utah Grizzlies. He appeared in two mid-season IHL All-Star Games and was named to the IHL's season-ending All-Star Team in three consecutive seasons from 1993 to 1996.

Past winners of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding coach include Don Cherry (1973-74), current NHL coaches Barry Trotz (1993-94), Claude Julien (2002-03), and Scott Gordon (2007-08), as well as Stanley Cup winners like Jacques Demers (1982-83), Marc Crawford (1992-93), and Peter Laviolette (1998-99).

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