Paul Maurice has become a beloved piece of the Florida Panthers franchise in just two short years as head coach.
While yeah, obviously a Stanley Cup will throw gasoline on any fire, but it’s a bit more than that with Maurice.
There are several layers to why Maurice has been such a good fit in South Florida.
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If we’re talking about the hockey aspect, Maurice arrived and immediately changed the way the Panthers played hockey.
They went from an exciting, high-flying rush team to a gritty, tight checking, physically aggressive group that basically played playoff hockey year-round.
It took a little while for the talented Panthers to convert their new style to muscle memory, but once everything clicked Florida became a force to be reckoned with.
Off the ice, Maurice has been just as amazing.
He’s established a great relationship with his players, leaving much of the in-room dealings to the leadership on the roster. That trust goes a long way.
With the media, Maurice has provided several viral moments and comments.
He’s in a great situation with the Panthers and now, the 57-year-old is just climbing up the all-time coaching ranks.
Maurice has coached the second-most games of all time (1848), behind only Scotty Bowman’s 2141.
He’s fourth on the wins list with 869, just 45 victories behind Barry Trotz in third place.
It will be fun to see what the future holds for Maurice and the Panthers, but he’s currently getting some well-deserved praise.
This week, NHL.com came out with its Super 16 Power Rankings for head coaches.
It’s voted on by a panel of 15 NHL.com writers and editors.
Maurice came in second on the list, behind only Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper.
Rounding out the top five were Bruce Cassidy, Peter DeBoer and Mike Sullivan.
It’s not terribly surprising to see Maurice ranked so high considering the run he’s been on since being hired by Florida.
You can check out the full list and analysis by clicking here.
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