BLOG: Arniel ready for another special outdoor game memory

Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel has experienced outdoor games in the National Hockey League three times over his career. Two of those games were at Yankee Stadium, the other was at Citi Field (home of the Mets).

His fourth could be the most meaningful though, as the Jets will host the 2026 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic at Princess Auto Stadium on October 25, with the Montreal Canadiens as the opponent. Arniel played his first professional games for the Jets, he met his wife, Lia, in Winnipeg, and his son and daughter were raised in the Manitoba capital. Now, his grandchildren get to experience the city as we..

“I’ll try to make sure that they are all there. Just to be outside, the look on the grandkids (face) will be fun. That was a nice moment at all those games in New York, we all had the families (there),” said Arniel.

“Everybody got to skate and they don’t have the hockey lights on, they just have the stadium lights on, and they don’t have them as bright as they do during the game. You look up at the stars in the middle of a baseball stadium. It’s pretty cool.”

The thought of hockey on an outdoor rink brings Arniel back to his childhood in Kingston, Ontario, and even after a life in hockey, it’s those thoughts that continue to bring a smile.

“Those are special memories. Running home from school, my older brother, grabbing your skates and going over to the nearest rink and getting into the shack there and putting them on,” said Arniel.

“Going out and playing until you had to get home for dinner, playing for a couple of hours. Those memories for me are kind of what comes back about these outdoor games. Just the way the league has gone about making it work, they have it down to a fine art.”

The 63-year-old says it’s a privilege to coach in an outdoor game.

“I think just to be able to stand back there (on the bench) and have the elements around you. The three games I was in, they were extremely cold, the time of year,” said Arniel.

“Hopefully next year, obviously at the end of October, it’ll start to get a little colder but that’s a great time for being around Winnipeg and being in Manitoba. I think really a special moment.”

As cool as it will be to be outdoors, the goal will still be the same. Winning.

“I’m happy to say I’m 3-0, make that 4-0 next year,” said Arniel.

“But at the end of the day there’s lasting memories. I have a picture that I got a long time ago at a golf tournament and it was the Buffalo Sabres; I wasn’t involved but it’s a picture of Sid Crosby going in to shoot on Ryan Miller in the shootout in a snowstorm (February 2006 in Buffalo). That to me is what it’s all about. That is emblematic of what those outdoor games are about. You do remember winning them, that’s what it’s all about, whether it’s your brother or your buddies, it’s all about winning at the end.”

CORE MEMORIES

Winning is exactly what the Jets did back on October 26, 2019, in Regina beating the Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime. Winnipeg lost 3-0 in their first Heritage Classic in Manitoba in 2016 to Edmonton and were looking for their first outdoor game goal with under five minutes to go in the Saskatchewan capital.

“We had gone five periods at the outdoor games without scoring. Down 1-0 to Calgary and just got a power play. Before that I think Paul (Maurice) said ‘shoot the puck’ and I shot and it went in thankfully,” said Morrissey.

“Obviously we scored in OT on a nice play and Littsy (Bryan Little) finished it off which was pretty cool. It was a cool goal to score for sure in an outdoor game.”

That OT winner was the 216^th regular season goal scored by Little, he would add his 217^th in the Jets next game against Anaheim. The longtime Jet only played four more games after the Heritage Classic as he was hit by a puck on November 5.

“The picture still hangs in our locker room too. So, it was one of his last goals,” said Neal Pionk who played almost 24 minutes that night.

“I think the picture’s pretty cool with the snow kind of flying and KC (Kyle Connor) feeding him backdoor. That was awesome.”

Adam Lowry added his thoughts on the importance of Little’s game winner.

“Not knowing what was going to come, you don’t recognize that at the time. But to have him kind of have that meaningful goal for us, that iconic picture,” said Lowry.

“To have the celebration on the ice and I know it was a neutral site game, but it was a home game for us. So, to have the crowd cheering and finally get to experience a win in an outdoor game, it’s pretty cool. And then for him to have his career unfortunately end the way it did, at least to have memories like that you can look back on and really enjoy.”

NEVER GETS OLD

The Jets captain will be playing in his third outdoor game and the 32-year-old said that each game has it's own special meaning.

"It's so exciting kind of the spectacle around it. Whether there's going to be a new jersey or we get to wear the heritage (jersey). You get to see all the gear and have so many family members, friends come in and get to experience it," said Lowry.

"You get to skate before the game and things like that. I think there's always just a little bit more excitement. It feels like it's a slightly bigger stage, in a bigger stadium, kind of new surroundings and I know we did the one in Winnipeg before but they are always a blast to be a part of."