And we’re back! After a tumultuous 72 hours, the Blue Jackets reportedly have their new man in Scott Arniel. Instead of Hitch & Howson leading the CBJ we now have a new alliterative group, Scott & Scott, running the show and (hopefully) taking the Jackets on and ever upward and forward.
Here’s a very general look at his coaching career thus far:
Arniel brings aboard a strong history of success even when his rosters aren’t exactly littered with talent. He has also been part of a great team’s coaching staff in the 2005-06 Buffalo Sabres. Check out these great write-ups at The Hockey Writers for some more information:
Scott Arniel: Ready for the NHL Spotlight?
Scott Arniel – The Man for the Job?
Between THW, The Dispatch, and DBJ, they’ve been all over the rush to find a coach for the last 2 days, and mega-props to the writers/staffs of all sites who have put in a TON of time on this matter.
While the new era begins with Scott Arniel soon to be behind the bench, we (likely) say goodbye to the quirky, yet likable Claude Noel. While a short-lived and difficult situation were handed to Noel there is no doubt that he put his heart and soul into making the best out of it. There are valuable lessons that many Jackets players no doubt learned from Interim Coach Noel, but in the end it wasn’t meant to be between the Blue Jackets and Claude Noel.
Noel certainly wasn’t the sexy pick to be the next coach of the Jackets and after the culture of losing returned in 2009-10, a complete house-cleaning proved necessary. Howson undoubtedly handled the situation with class and dignity after Boucher seemingly used the Jackets to leverage himself a new deal with the Habs. I’m not sure which situation I would feel worse with… Boucher snubs the CBJ to get a better deal and become “coach-in-waiting” with the Habs or Boucher snubs the CBJ to end up becoming the next coach of the Thrashers, Lightning, or Devils.
We will certainly see far more information come to light in the following days as Arniel looks to establish his coaching staff and now that Howson can figure what kind of roster makeover is necessary.
I really am sad to see Noel go, I did like him, but like you said… housecleaning!