If he is not fired, I will leave the Florida Panthers head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his star player
Sunshine, Florida (AP) – On December 17, 2021, Paul Maurice genuinely thought his NHL coaching days were over. Though he was sixth all-time in wins and fourth all-time in games coached, he was perfectly happy to let his career stop there.
He so gave up his position as the Winnipeg Jets’ coach. He was done. A Stanley Cup was something he would never win.
That day, he said, “It’s time.”
And he meant it. Until the Florida Panthers called, that is. As it happens, Maurice was mistaken. It was not the right moment. Maurice has made two visits to the Stanley Cup Final in his two seasons with the Panthers; Florida fell to Vegas in the previous year’s final series and begins this year’s against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
The 57-year-old Maurice remarked on Friday, “As you get older, you get a different perspective on life and what’s important and valuable.” “I have to take one out. No, it won’t make a difference in the area of my life that has nothing to do with hockey. But it is the reality. I feel that way. I’ve been at this for thirty years. Would be happy to win one.
Maurice is the only NHL head coach with more wins (935), including playoffs, than Cup winners Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, and Barry Trotz. Maurice’s next victory will end his current three-way tie for fourth place with Ken Hitchcock, another Cup champion, and Lindy Ruff. And the only coaches with more games coached than Maurice are Bowman and Quenneville.
His résumé is almost incomparable. However, it won’t seem complete without a Cup. And the Panthers want to be the group whose name appears on the greatest hockey trophy.
According to Florida forward Steven Lorentz, “we want to win for every guy in the locker room.” “Coach has a lengthy history. Behind that bench, he’s witnessed a lot of hockey. extremely talented and astute coach. obtains the Xs and Os, but he also gains his players in equal measure. Playing for a guy like that is simple. He has high expectations, but the greatest satisfaction comes from putting in a great effort and succeeding. The nicest part is when he enters the room afterwards, just as enthused as the guys who were on the ice.
Maurice claimed, “I got them down to 92 in one year.” “Incredible.”
For obvious reasons, no one is grumbling. The East was won by the Panthers both last year and this year. In 1996, Florida was swept by Colorado after having little chance; due to injuries, the Panthers had little chance against Vegas last season. This team is in a position to succeed, most definitely a stronger one than it was in its last two Cup final trips.
The same is true for Maurice, who led Carolina to the championship game in 2002 but fell to Detroit and Bowman in his first title-round encounter.
Maurice is also a true hockey person in this sense: He doesn’t desire credit for much of anything.
He claims to know nothing about goalies, so don’t question him about them. Give him no credit for changing lines during a game; he’ll claim he had to take action. He wants players to take the lead in the locker room, keeps his lectures brief and to the point, and emphasizes that even on the days when his squad spends hours practicing, he spends, at most, a few minutes a day personally interacting with them.
It’s not about him here. It concerns them.
When the Panthers defeated the New York Rangers to win the East title, Maurice said, “You’re all (expletive) brilliant, and I love every one of ya.”
He left the dressing room after saying that. Preparations have to be made for the Cup final.
