Paul Maurice has been in the NHL for a long time, which would make it seem like he is over 57 years old.
The Florida Panthers coach has been on the NHL bench for so long that his first coaching job in the league was with the Hartford Whalers in 1995, when he was 28 years old.
Maurice remained with the franchise during his move to Carolina, not getting much playoff experience as the team was eliminated in the first round or missed out entirely in his first six seasons at the helm. They reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2002, but lost to a Detroit Red Wings team full of future Hall of Famers.
Playoff success would elude Maurice as he moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs for two seasons and then returned to Carolina for four more years. After a year in Russia and the KHL, he took over the Winnipeg Jets and turned the franchise around. But after four consecutive playoff appearances, he stepped down on December 17, 2021, citing the need for the locker room to have a new voice and that he gave the franchise everything he could.
Maurice was only 54 when he left the Jets, but he was a very experienced 54-year-old. Despite this, he was ready for this to be the end of his coaching career, if that was life.
The break from hockey wasn’t very long, however. After a few “phenomenal days of fishing” that summer, Maurice changed his mind after receiving a call from Panthers general manager Bill Zito.
Zito’s only reason to call was to gauge Maurice’s interest in returning behind an NHL bench, without wanting to openly offer him the job during their first conversation. “And then we started talking hockey, and that was it,” Maurice said during Friday’s Stanley Cup Final Media Day.
Shortly thereafter, Maurice was hired. At the time, the Panthers had just one playoff series victory since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.
It wasn’t a good first regular season under Maurice. The Panthers have earned 30 fewer points and 16 fewer wins than their 2021-22 Presidents’ Trophy winning season. “I managed to reduce them to 92 in one year,” joked Maurice. “Bright.”
But after a poor regular season, the Panthers got hot at the right time and made a run to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.
Some teams are experiencing a hangover after a long run to the World Cup final in the previous season. A 5-4-1 start was quickly turned around and the Panthers won the Atlantic Division and eliminated opposing stars in the first three rounds of the playoffs to reach four championship victories – this time with the Edmonton Oilers serving as opponents.
Maurice’s message, as happened in his previous stops, reached his players. They approached this season with more maturity and discipline on the ice. They still bring a lot of physicality to games, but in a very intelligent way.
It’s the Paul Maurice effect, and his players are aware of and grateful for what he has brought to the team.
“He’s an incredible coach. He’s the best I’ve ever had,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “He made me a better player than when I started here. I only have good things to say about him.
“I have a lot of respect for him and I think every player, first and foremost, really wants to win for themselves and their teammate next to them. But I think a guy like Paul means a lot to him, from all of us, seeing what he’s done for us the last two years, we definitely want to get that for him.”
Humor is a tool Maurice uses in every situation – with the media and his players. He’s quick with a joke or self-deprecating comment to ease the tension. He can be fiery when necessary, but that balance has rubbed off on his players and the long-term effect has been positive.
“[He’s] very good at reading the room, very good at knowing what we need, when we need it. I think this is the greatest quality I can take away”, said striker Evan Rodrigues. “He knows when a team needs a joke and he knows when a team needs a shot from behind. He’s been amazing for us all year and yeah, I really enjoy playing for him.”
What Maurice brings in experience is a resume of 869 regular-season wins, fourth all-time among coaches. Only Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville and Barry Trotz have won more.
What Bowman, Quenneville and Trotz have that Maurice lacks is a Stanley Cup ring. Multiples in the cases of Bowman and Quenneville.
This is Maurice’s third appearance in a Cup final. He took the time, came close twice and now he really wants to be the coach celebrating his team’s 16th playoff victory.
“As you get older, you gain a different perspective on life and what is important and valuable,” Maurice said. “I need to win one. No, it won’t change the part of my life that isn’t related to hockey. But that’s the truth. It’s how I feel. I’ve been at this for 30 years. I wouldn’t mind getting one.
