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Paul Maurice led the Florida Panthers to their first-ever Stanley Cup championship last June, and the veteran head coach was rewarded for his continued efforts on Tuesday. Maurice was locked up on a multi-year contract extension, the team announced; terms of the deal were not revealed.
“I'm interested in coaching the Florida Panthers for as long as they'll have me because it's great coming to the rink,” Maurice said shortly after signing the pact, according to team reporter Jameson Olive. “We are all performers here. Everybody has a job to do. I didn't like my job tonight, but I'm still going to love it tomorrow.”
The Panthers were crushed 5-1 by the Minnesota Wild at Amerant Bank Arena during Frozen Frenzy on Tuesday night, but remain first place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-3-1 record.
General manager Bill Zito shared his thoughts on Maurice's success in the official press release.
“Paul has resolutely led our organization to unprecedented success during his relatively short tenure in South Florida,” said Zito. “He is a superb communicator and leader for our staff and players, possessing a keen strategic mind for the game. We are excited for Paul and his staff to continue to keep the Florida Panthers as a destination franchise for the foreseeable future.”
Maurice has helped turn the Panthers into the class of the NHL, winning the Eastern Conference in two straight seasons and capturing a Stanley Cup in 2024. The team looks like a powerhouse in 2024-25 as well, even with the departure of Brandon Montour over the summer.
Paul Maurice has transformed the Panthers
The 57-year-old Maurice is in his third season as Florida's head coach. In that span, he's accumulated a 98-58-15 record-season record, along with a 29-16 playoff record. Sixteen of those victories came last spring against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers.
Maurice is as seasoned a head coach as they come, having coached the second-most regular season games in the history of the league at 1,855. That is behind only legend Scotty Bowman at 2,141. He's also fourth in the NHL in wins with 873.
Before joining the Panthers, Maurice spent time coaching the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers, most notably taking the Canes to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final — a series they would lose in five games to the Detroit Red Wings.
The veteran has helped the Panthers get off to a great start for their third straight campaign, which is impressive considering Matthew Tkachuk and captain Aleksander Barkov have both been on the shelf.
Tkachuk returned to the lineup in Tuesday's loss to the Wild, while Barkov could be back as soon as this week. That'll be a huge boost to a team that will be heading overseas next week for the 2024 Global Series Finland.
In Barkov's hometown, Maurice and the Panthers will take on the Dallas Stars in a back-to-back set on November 1 and 2. But first, Florida embarks on a three-game road trip to play the Rangers, Islanders and Sabres this week.
