Cole Perfetti is hopeful about his future under new Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel. Arniel replaced Rick Bowness, who retired in May 2024. Looking back, Perfetti struggled with his role under Bowness and felt that the bench boss preferred veteran players over him.
Despite being a player with potential, Perfetti faced limited playing time and inconsistent performances in the 2023-24 season. He scored 19 goals and as many assists.
As the Jets headed towards the playoffs, veterans like Tyler Toffoli and Sean Monahan were brought in, further reducing his ice time. Perfetti had 13:35 TOI in the regular season, whileduring the playoffs it reduced to 10:56, which is a significant dip.
Bowness explained to Perfetti about his preferences. He had also restricted young players like Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz in the past.
"If you look, it was bit of a trend with him and other teams ..." Perfetti said, per Sportsnet. "He kind of treated them the same that I was getting treated. And he explained that to me."
Perfetti didn’t agree with that approach but respected Bowness’s experience. So, he simply complied with his ways of coaching.
"He's been around for a while." Perfetti said, "He's a respected coach, and I respected what he had to say, and at the end of the day it wasn't my decision.
"I just had to live with it, roll with the punches, and be the best that I could be. So, it sucked. But I'm definitely using that as motivation for the future."
Although it was frustrating, Cole Perfetti plans to use the experience as motivation for the future. Now, with Arniel as coach, he is looking forward to new opportunities.
Cole Perfetti is positive about contract talks with Jets
Cole Perfetti, a restricted free agent with the Winnipeg Jets, is negotiating a new contract for the 2024-25 season.
While other teams are interested in signing him, Perfetti feels confident that he will stay with the Jets. He said that both sides are working on a deal and is hopeful that it will be finalized soon.
“Our side is working on a deal with them. … At this point, I want to be there,” Perfetti said (per Michael Russo of The Athletic) “But it's exciting to hopefully get this going soon. … I'm positive that something's going to come here soon, hopefully.”
Cole Perfetti also joked that the Jets likely wouldn't have invited him to the NHL/NHLPA Media Tour if they planned to part ways. He's excited for a "clean slate" under new coach Scott Arniel.