If three straight Eastern Conference Final overtime nail biters weren’t entertaining enough, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has been a spectacle of his own this postseason.
Maurice is one of the most quotable head coaches in the League, quick with a quip, dose of sarcasm or extended story. His press conferences this postseason have been a treasure trove of lighthearted jabs at players and hilarious interactions with members of the media.
The fourth-winningest coach in NHL history (869), Maurice rose to prominence as the second youngest NHL coach all-time when he took the helm of the Hartford Whalers at just 28 years old in 1995. He guided the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002, and has also coached the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets.
He’s in his second season with the Panthers, and led them to the Cup Final last season, whn they lost in five games to the Vegas Golden Knights. They’re seeking a second straight Final appearance now, tied 2-2 in the conference final with the New York Rangers.
So, the Panthers are entertaining on the ice. And their coach is off of it.
Take his most recent quip, for example. Following a dangerous elbowing penalty by Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba against Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues in Game 3 of the conference final, Maurice was asked about a the $5,000 fine issued by NHL Department of Player Safety
“Take the hat, pass it around. Poor lad. Poor Jake. He won’t be able to eat,” Maurice teased.
Maurice also isn’t afraid of letting the media know what he’s like behind the bench either.
During Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Second Round, a TV timeout in the second period gave Maurice the opportunity to fire up his deflated team after finding themselves down 1-0 to the Boston Bruins.
“I just thought they needed some profanity in their life … and I brought some. I don’t excel at a lot of things in my life, but f**k me, am I good at that,” joked Maurice.
He followed that up with a smirk and said, “See what I did there?”
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Paul Maurice humor keeps Panthers on their toes
One of Maurice’s greatest asset appears to be his ability to keep the mood light, even following a loss.
A 2-1 overtime loss to the Rangers in Game 2 of their series would have most coaches lamenting their rotten luck, or singing their hopes for better fortune in the next game.
Instead, when asked about Barclay Goodrow’s heroic OT goal in the postgame presser, he lightheartedly mentioned that he hadn’t looked at it, blaming the vastness of Madison Square Garden.
“I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t know if you’ve been to the maze down here, but our video guy is three zip codes away from our locker room … I haven’t seen my video guy. Not sure if he still works for us.”
Things are now looking up for Maurice’s crew. He certainly deserved to be in the joking mood following an overtime win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final on Tuesday.
Don’t mistake Maurice’s pleasantries and leg-pulling to be a sign of indifference. He clearly cares very much about winning. He’s never won the Stanley Cup.
After the decisive Game 6 win against the Bruins, Maurice had this to say:
“If you lose the last game, you don’t care if the plane goes down, right? I know it’s extreme but I’ve had that moment.”
Despite his humor, he’s set on delivering the Panthers to another Stanley Cup Final.
Perhaps it’s Maurice’s buoyancy that will keep the plane from going down.