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Scott Arniel Blasts All Reporters After Cole Perfetti Does Something For The First Time In His Career

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Daniel Lucente
January 25, 2025  (12:03)
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Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel during a press conference
Photo credit: Global News video screenshot

Despite the fact that the Winnipeg Jets had just dominated the Utah Hockey Club, Scott Arniel was visibly irritated with reporters post-game involving Cole Perfetti.

Cole Perfetti played in style Friday night. But Friday morning, the Winnipeg Jets winger was asked about how he'd grade himself on his performance thus far this season.

«I feel like I'm really starting to play really good hockey, all over the ice,» Perfetti told reporters. «Becoming a two-way guy, that's kind of what I'm trying to focus on. Being harder on the puck. Harder on the walls. Kinda being a little prick to play against.»


The 23-year-old Whitby, Ont., native was in a 14-game drought and had eight points in 25 games, down a long, long way from his 17 points in 24 games to start the campaign.

For all the doubt, Perfetti believed in himself, preaching about controlling little things that win games for a club. As for the offensive output, Perfetti believed it would follow, and it did, spectacularly.

Perfetti notched a hat-trick for the first ever time in his career and played his most well-rounded game of the campaign in a 5-2 win over the Utah Hockey Club.

From the start, he played with intentionality. Under five minutes in, Perfetti took a chance at scoring with a backcheck and a stick-check on Lawson Crouse. Later, he took big plays in the offensive zone, including some big hits in the corners.

Near two minutes remaining in the first period, Perfetti snapped his drought, scoring a one-timer off a sharp Nikolaj Ehlers cross-ice pass in a power-play chance.

He was seen leaping on the glass and reached a new confidence and appeared relieved as fellow Jet skaters joined him.

Scott Arniel blasts reporters for making Cole Perfetti mad that morning

Winnipeg's head coach Scott Arniel put all reporters on blast during his post-game interview, where he even said that some reporters made Perfetti mad throughout the day for how they treated him that morning.

«You guys got him all mad this morning,» Jets coach Scott Arniel said, tongue-in-cheek, after the game. «Like I mentioned, he's one year older, he's learned from things that have happened in the past, he doesn't get down. He gets frustrated, but he doesn't get down and let it drag into the rest of his game. Did a great job going to the net, got inside and he got some greasy goals. That's kind of, a lot of times for guys not scoring, what gets you off and running. I liked his compete. I think he mentioned to you guys he hasn't stopped competing, and that's the best part of it.»


Perfetti took a page out of a meaner book, taunting Utah skaters, scoring three goals, and making big plays at both ends of the rink.

The all-around performance showed everyone why he was a 2020 first-round selection, proving one can most assuredly turn it around.

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Scott Arniel Blasts All Reporters After Cole Perfetti Does Something For The First Time In His Career

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