It has been a disappointing season for the Florida Panthers. Between the Panthers dealing with injuries and poor play, they are likely not going to be heading to the NHL Playoffs in 2026.
While the Panthers may not defend their Stanley Cup crown, the team had something to celebrate on Tuesday night as coach Paul Maurice hit a career milestone, per hockey insider Frank Seravalli.
Paul Maurice coached his 2,000th NHL game on Wednesday night against the Seattle Kraken, becoming just the second coach all-time to coach 2,000 games. He is sitting only behind Scotty Bowman, who coached 2,141 games. Lindy Ruff is the next closest to Maurice, having coached 1,927 games, and is followed by Joel Quenneville with 1,839 games.
Maurice coached his first NHL game on November 7, 1995, when he was behind the bench for the Hartford Whalers as they defeated the San Jose Sharks. He would continue with the franchise as the Whalers moved and became the Carolina Hurricanes. Maurice led the Canes to the Stanley Cup Final, but lost to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. He was fired during the 2003-04 season by the Canes.
Maurice would then return to the NHL bench in 2006-07 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was fired after two seasons. The legendary coach then returned to the Hurricanes, coaching three full seasons and being fired during his fourth season in 2011-12. That led Maurice to the Winnipeg Jets, where he would coach from 2013-14 through the start of the 2021-22 season, when he resigned.
The coach then joined the Panthers for the 2022-23 season, winning the Eastern Conference three times, plus two Stanley Cups. Maurice is also third all-time in wins, having won 951 games as a head coach.
The Panthers are just 35-32-2 on the year, which is seventh in the Atlantic Division. With 12 games left to go, the Panthers are 12 points out of the playoffs. They return to the ice on Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.
