Florida Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice is a pretty well-liked guy.
His legacy as one of the best at his craft had been well established before he ever arrived in South Florida, as had his reputation for being an amazing postgame quote and just a genuine good guy.
All of those qualities have only been reinforced and cemented during his time with the Panthers.
The on-ice success is first and foremost, leading Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances and winning the Cup last June.
With all the added attention that comes with deep playoff runs and being a part of a very good team, Maurice’s star has never shined as bright as it is currently.
That fact was reflected in a recent anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic.
They polled over 100 NHL players on several topics, including which head coaches they would most, and least, like to play for, other than their own.
Maurice received 13.21% of the responses, second only to Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, who got 23.5%.
While the majority of the comments on playing for some of the top choices, which also included Rod Brind’Amour and Jared Bednar, centered around how they coach, with Maurice, players commented on his personality, particularly his viral moments with the media.
In his NHL career, Maurice has accumulated some very impressive numbers.
He’s second in all-time games coached and only the second person to ever coach 1,900 games, matching the great Scotty Bowman.
He’s won the fourth-most games of all time, 901, and is 13 wins away from matching Barry Trotz for third on the wins list.
During his three seasons in Florida, Maurice has a 126-76-17 record while going 29-16 during the playoffs.
He signed a new, multi-year extension back in October that will keep him in South Florida for the foreseeable future.
It should be fun to see how Maurice’s time behind the Panthers bench plays out, and the legacy he ultimately leaves behind.
You can check out the full story from The Athletic by clicking here.
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