For Panthers coach Maurice, this Florida run is no everyday fish story. MORE:
Here’s what that means: When Maurice stepped down as coach of the Winnipeg Jets in December 2021, it wasn’t clear if he would take another job. Some teams called. He'd listen. He'd then hang up the phone still convinced that his time would be better spent continuing to fish for walleye on Lake of the Woods, where he has a little spot.This is no wild fisherman’s tale anymore.
If any player can speak with authority on the trajectory of Maurice’s career, or his effectiveness, it’s Staal. Maurice was his first coach — ironically, with Carolina in 2003. He’s played for nine other coaches, and now is reunited with Maurice with the Panthers, with the Hurricanes waiting for them in a matchup to decide which club will represent the East in the Stanley Cup Final.
“He’s coached probably over 2,000 games in the NHL,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said, coming close but slightly overshooting Maurice’s total of 1,871 games including playoffs. “He literally knows every situation, how to handle it. He’s the guy we trust, the guy we believe and love playing for. He knows what to do and he tells us the right thing.”
He drew hysterical laughter in a postgame interview when chiding the media for not believing in the Panthers . He knows when to be serious and sarcastic, doesn't mind taking a few minutes to tell a story, and cringes when anyone tries to give him the credit for Florida's success.Zito knew it before Maurice did. Other teams had called Maurice to gauge his interest, and Maurice always had the same reaction.There's that word again. Everything wound up fitting perfectly in Florida.
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