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Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Florida coach Paul Maurice has Panthers back in Cup final, fueled by his mix of laughs and hard work
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Paul Maurice keeps the day-to-day routine simple. Show up for work early and have copious amounts of coffee. Trust assistant coaches to do their jobs. Sit in on meetings when needed. Hammer home a consistent message with players. Swear a little bit sometimes, swear profusely at other times. Hey, it works. In the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season with the Panthers, Maurice's style — laugh-out-loud funny at times, incredibly smart and serious at others — continues to deliver results for Florida. He was 41-51 in his playoff career before coming to Florida; he's 41-21 in his playoff career with Florida. A coaching lifer, he already was well-respected within the game before the Panthers brought him aboard, but he never had anything close to a run like this until now. 'I'm not being disrespectful to the other teams I've coached,' Maurice said. 'The team here, this is the best team I've ever coached. It's not really that close.' Winners of the Stanley Cup last season, the Panthers will try for back-to-back titles starting Wednesday night when they visit Edmonton for Game 1 of a rematch. Florida beat the Oilers last year in seven games for Maurice's first Cup in a 30-year career. 'Oh, I'll never get tired of hearing that,' Maurice said. It's a hilarious game of tug-of-war that Maurice and the Panthers players are engaged in these days. Players don't want to be showered in praise for making a third consecutive Cup final; the coach insists that it's all about them and that he just pushes a few buttons here and there. The truth is that there's more than enough credit to go around. 'He keeps things light, but he expects us to work our hardest and he's very prepared and — I know I've said this before — he can get you up for a Tuesday night game against Columbus or whatever in the middle of the year and it feels like a playoff game,' forward Matthew Tkachuk said. 'His speeches and his ability to get us to run through a wall each and every game is a big gift.' The speeches aren't filibusters, however. Maurice thinks it's critically important to have the ability to go into the locker room, say exactly what needs to be said and depart without saying anything more or anything less. He's not afraid to tell his players that they're playing poorly. He's not afraid to tell his players that he loves them, either. He's also not afraid to make himself the butt of the joke. Florida was a 122-point, President's Trophy-winning team the season before Maurice arrived. The Panthers managed 92 points in Year 1 of his era. 'Coaching,' he quipped. The 30-point drop was in large part to the adjustment made by a stylistic change, and that change led them to the Cup final, but Maurice never misses a chance to make fun of how he turned a 122-point club into a 92-point club overnight. Panthers defenseman Seth Jones came to Florida around the trade deadline this season. He had a lot of learning to do — new systems, new expectations, new teammates, all of that. He also had to learn how to get coached differently, which he quickly realized wasn't a bad thing. 'It's different than what I've had,' Jones said of Maurice's style. 'I think he knows how to really take the temperature of the group and the situation of the group. And he can have a meeting where he's very intense, calling guys out or calling the team out. But he's also very good at throwing a joke in there, throwing a funny clip in there when we're doing video. He's very smart. I think he understands what the team needs at any given time. I don't think he gets too high or too low based on certain situations.' That, the Panthers have learned, is critical. Consider how the title series went last season. The Panthers won the first three games and were on the brink of the Cup. Then they lost Game 4. And Game 5. And Game 6. The brink of the Cup became the brink of a collapse, real fast. Maurice started talking to his players about freedom and playing with that feeling. Game 7 was flawless. The Panthers won, and at the parade about a week later, Maurice ended his rain-soaked, highly profane remarks by throwing his arms into the air and yelling 'Freedom!' at the top of his lungs to his team. 'He gets the buy-in from the players and he treats all of us the same, which I think is really important as a coach and not to treat guys differently,' Tkachuk said. 'He expects us all to work hard and treat each other with respect and everything, but he treats us all the exact same. He's been a great coach and we're super lucky to have him here.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Florida coach Paul Maurice has Panthers back in Cup final, fueled by his mix of laughs and hard work
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Paul Maurice keeps the day-to-day routine simple. Show up for work early and have copious amounts of coffee. Trust assistant coaches to do their jobs. Sit in on meetings when needed. Hammer home a consistent message with players. Swear a little bit sometimes, swear profusely at other times. Hey, it works. In the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season with the Panthers, Maurice's style — laugh-out-loud funny at times, incredibly smart and serious at others — continues to deliver results for Florida. He was 41-51 in his playoff career before coming to Florida; he's 41-21 in his playoff career with Florida. A coaching lifer, he already was well-respected within the game before the Panthers brought him aboard, but he never had anything close to a run like this until now. 'I'm not being disrespectful to the other teams I've coached," Maurice said. 'The team here, this is the best team I've ever coached. It's not really that close.' Winners of the Stanley Cup last season, the Panthers will try for back-to-back titles starting Wednesday night when they visit Edmonton for Game 1 of a rematch. Florida beat the Oilers last year in seven games for Maurice's first Cup in a 30-year career. 'Oh, I'll never get tired of hearing that,' Maurice said. It's a hilarious game of tug-of-war that Maurice and the Panthers players are engaged in these days. Players don't want to be showered in praise for making a third consecutive Cup final; the coach insists that it's all about them and that he just pushes a few buttons here and there. The truth is that there's more than enough credit to go around. 'He keeps things light, but he expects us to work our hardest and he's very prepared and — I know I've said this before — he can get you up for a Tuesday night game against Columbus or whatever in the middle of the year and it feels like a playoff game," forward Matthew Tkachuk said. 'His speeches and his ability to get us to run through a wall each and every game is a big gift.' The speeches aren't filibusters, however. Maurice thinks it's critically important to have the ability to go into the locker room, say exactly what needs to be said and depart without saying anything more or anything less. He's not afraid to tell his players that they're playing poorly. He's not afraid to tell his players that he loves them, either. He's also not afraid to make himself the butt of the joke. Florida was a 122-point, President's Trophy-winning team the season before Maurice arrived. The Panthers managed 92 points in Year 1 of his era. 'Coaching,' he quipped. The 30-point drop was in large part to the adjustment made by a stylistic change, and that change led them to the Cup final, but Maurice never misses a chance to make fun of how he turned a 122-point club into a 92-point club overnight. Panthers defenseman Seth Jones came to Florida around the trade deadline this season. He had a lot of learning to do — new systems, new expectations, new teammates, all of that. He also had to learn how to get coached differently, which he quickly realized wasn't a bad thing. 'It's different than what I've had," Jones said of Maurice's style. 'I think he knows how to really take the temperature of the group and the situation of the group. And he can have a meeting where he's very intense, calling guys out or calling the team out. But he's also very good at throwing a joke in there, throwing a funny clip in there when we're doing video. He's very smart. I think he understands what the team needs at any given time. I don't think he gets too high or too low based on certain situations.' That, the Panthers have learned, is critical. Consider how the title series went last season. The Panthers won the first three games and were on the brink of the Cup. Then they lost Game 4. And Game 5. And Game 6. The brink of the Cup became the brink of a collapse, real fast. Maurice started talking to his players about freedom and playing with that feeling. Game 7 was flawless. The Panthers won, and at the parade about a week later, Maurice ended his rain-soaked, highly profane remarks by throwing his arms into the air and yelling 'Freedom!' at the top of his lungs to his team. 'He gets the buy-in from the players and he treats all of us the same, which I think is really important as a coach and not to treat guys differently,' Tkachuk said. 'He expects us all to work hard and treat each other with respect and everything, but he treats us all the exact same. He's been a great coach and we're super lucky to have him here.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Florida coach Paul Maurice has Panthers back in Cup final, fueled by his mix of laughs and hard work
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Paul Maurice keeps the day-to-day routine simple. Show up for work early and have copious amounts of coffee. Trust assistant coaches to do their jobs. Sit in on meetings when needed. Hammer home a consistent message with players. Swear a little bit sometimes, swear profusely at other times. Hey, it works. In the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season with the Panthers, Maurice's style — laugh-out-loud funny at times, incredibly smart and serious at others — continues to deliver results for Florida. He was 41-51 in his playoff career before coming to Florida; he's 41-21 in his playoff career with Florida. A coaching lifer, he already was well-respected within the game before the Panthers brought him aboard, but he never had anything close to a run like this until now. 'I'm not being disrespectful to the other teams I've coached," Maurice said. 'The team here, this is the best team I've ever coached. It's not really that close.' Winners of the Stanley Cup last season, the Panthers will try for back-to-back titles starting Wednesday night when they visit Edmonton for Game 1 of a rematch. Florida beat the Oilers last year in seven games for Maurice's first Cup in a 30-year career. 'Oh, I'll never get tired of hearing that,' Maurice said. It's a hilarious game of tug-of-war that Maurice and the Panthers players are engaged in these days. Players don't want to be showered in praise for making a third consecutive Cup final; the coach insists that it's all about them and that he just pushes a few buttons here and there. The truth is that there's more than enough credit to go around. 'He keeps things light, but he expects us to work our hardest and he's very prepared and — I know I've said this before — he can get you up for a Tuesday night game against Columbus or whatever in the middle of the year and it feels like a playoff game," forward Matthew Tkachuk said. 'His speeches and his ability to get us to run through a wall each and every game is a big gift.' The speeches aren't filibusters, however. Maurice thinks it's critically important to have the ability to go into the locker room, say exactly what needs to be said and depart without saying anything more or anything less. He's not afraid to tell his players that they're playing poorly. He's not afraid to tell his players that he loves them, either. He's also not afraid to make himself the butt of the joke. Florida was a 122-point, President's Trophy-winning team the season before Maurice arrived. The Panthers managed 92 points in Year 1 of his era. 'Coaching,' he quipped. The 30-point drop was in large part to the adjustment made by a stylistic change, and that change led them to the Cup final, but Maurice never misses a chance to make fun of how he turned a 122-point club into a 92-point club overnight. Panthers defenseman Seth Jones came to Florida around the trade deadline this season. He had a lot of learning to do — new systems, new expectations, new teammates, all of that. He also had to learn how to get coached differently, which he quickly realized wasn't a bad thing. 'It's different than what I've had," Jones said of Maurice's style. 'I think he knows how to really take the temperature of the group and the situation of the group. And he can have a meeting where he's very intense, calling guys out or calling the team out. But he's also very good at throwing a joke in there, throwing a funny clip in there when we're doing video. He's very smart. I think he understands what the team needs at any given time. I don't think he gets too high or too low based on certain situations.' That, the Panthers have learned, is critical. Consider how the title series went last season. The Panthers won the first three games and were on the brink of the Cup. Then they lost Game 4. And Game 5. And Game 6. The brink of the Cup became the brink of a collapse, real fast. Maurice started talking to his players about freedom and playing with that feeling. Game 7 was flawless. The Panthers won, and at the parade about a week later, Maurice ended his rain-soaked, highly profane remarks by throwing his arms into the air and yelling 'Freedom!' at the top of his lungs to his team. 'He gets the buy-in from the players and he treats all of us the same, which I think is really important as a coach and not to treat guys differently,' Tkachuk said. 'He expects us all to work hard and treat each other with respect and everything, but he treats us all the exact same. He's been a great coach and we're super lucky to have him here.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Florida coach Paul Maurice has Panthers back in Cup final, fueled by his mix of laughs and hard work
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Paul Maurice keeps the day-to-day routine simple. Show up for work early and have copious amounts of coffee. Trust assistant coaches to do their jobs. Sit in on meetings when needed. Hammer home a consistent message with players. Swear a little bit sometimes, swear profusely at other times. Hey, it works. In the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive season with the Panthers, Maurice's style — laugh-out-loud funny at times, incredibly smart and serious at others — continues to deliver results for Florida. He was 41-51 in his playoff career before coming to Florida; he's 41-21 in his playoff career with Florida. A coaching lifer, he already was well-respected within the game before the Panthers brought him aboard, but he never had anything close to a run like this until now. 'I'm not being disrespectful to the other teams I've coached,' Maurice said. 'The team here, this is the best team I've ever coached. It's not really that close.' Winners of the Stanley Cup last season, the Panthers will try for back-to-back titles starting Wednesday night when they visit Edmonton for Game 1 of a rematch. Florida beat the Oilers last year in seven games for Maurice's first Cup in a 30-year career. 'Oh, I'll never get tired of hearing that,' Maurice said. It's a hilarious game of tug-of-war that Maurice and the Panthers players are engaged in these days. Players don't want to be showered in praise for making a third consecutive Cup final; the coach insists that it's all about them and that he just pushes a few buttons here and there. The truth is that there's more than enough credit to go around. 'He keeps things light, but he expects us to work our hardest and he's very prepared and — I know I've said this before — he can get you up for a Tuesday night game against Columbus or whatever in the middle of the year and it feels like a playoff game,' forward Matthew Tkachuk said. 'His speeches and his ability to get us to run through a wall each and every game is a big gift.' The speeches aren't filibusters, however. Maurice thinks it's critically important to have the ability to go into the locker room, say exactly what needs to be said and depart without saying anything more or anything less. He's not afraid to tell his players that they're playing poorly. He's not afraid to tell his players that he loves them, either. He's also not afraid to make himself the butt of the joke. Florida was a 122-point, President's Trophy-winning team the season before Maurice arrived. The Panthers managed 92 points in Year 1 of his era. 'Coaching,' he quipped. The 30-point drop was in large part to the adjustment made by a stylistic change, and that change led them to the Cup final, but Maurice never misses a chance to make fun of how he turned a 122-point club into a 92-point club overnight. Panthers defenseman Seth Jones came to Florida around the trade deadline this season. He had a lot of learning to do — new systems, new expectations, new teammates, all of that. He also had to learn how to get coached differently, which he quickly realized wasn't a bad thing. 'It's different than what I've had,' Jones said of Maurice's style. 'I think he knows how to really take the temperature of the group and the situation of the group. And he can have a meeting where he's very intense, calling guys out or calling the team out. But he's also very good at throwing a joke in there, throwing a funny clip in there when we're doing video. He's very smart. I think he understands what the team needs at any given time. I don't think he gets too high or too low based on certain situations.' That, the Panthers have learned, is critical. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Consider how the title series went last season. The Panthers won the first three games and were on the brink of the Cup. Then they lost Game 4. And Game 5. And Game 6. The brink of the Cup became the brink of a collapse, real fast. Maurice started talking to his players about freedom and playing with that feeling. Game 7 was flawless. The Panthers won, and at the parade about a week later, Maurice ended his rain-soaked, highly profane remarks by throwing his arms into the air and yelling 'Freedom!' at the top of his lungs to his team. 'He gets the buy-in from the players and he treats all of us the same, which I think is really important as a coach and not to treat guys differently,' Tkachuk said. 'He expects us all to work hard and treat each other with respect and everything, but he treats us all the exact same. He's been a great coach and we're super lucky to have him here.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Rangers Fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette (Danny Wild-Imagn Images) The New York Rangers organization announced on Saturday that they have fired head coach Peter Laviolette. The team has also let go of Phil Housley, who was Laviolette's associate behind the bench. Rangers GM Chris Drury forwarded a statement, saying, 'I want to thank them both and wish them and their families all the best going forward. Peter is first-class all the way, both professionally and personally, and I am truly grateful for his passion and dedication to the Rangers in his time as head coach,' he said. Advertisement The Rangers had a disastrous season compared to their previous President's Trophy-winning 2023-24 campaign. They ended that regular season with a 55-23-4 record and also advanced to the Eastern Conference final, losing to the Florida Panthers in six games. However, this season, New York finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division and six points out of a playoff spot. This was Laviolette's second season with the Rangers after being hired for the 2023-24 campaign. His record over those two seasons with the Blueshirts was 94-59-11 with a win percentage of .607. This past season, his team finished with a 39-36-7 record. Drury touched on what their expectations were going off of last season and how they simply weren't met. 'After finishing with the best regular-season record in the NHL a year ago and making a trip to the Eastern Conference final, we came into this season with high expectations for ourselves,' he said. 'Quite simply, we failed to meet those expectations.' The Rangers GM added that their quest to find a new head coach begins 'immediately.' Advertisement Late into the season, Laviolette had a hard-hitting quote that shocked the hockey world. After a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 7, Laviolette was asked post-game about what his message was to the team after the game. He replied, "I don't have a message right now. I don't go into the locker room after the game." That started discussions and rumors that his time with the Rangers could be over. Before his time in New York, he had coached five other teams over 21 seasons. He began his career as a head coach with the New York Islanders in 2001-02. After that, he went on to coach the Carolina Hurricanes, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2006, the Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. Aside from winning the Cup in 2006, he advanced to the Stanley Cup final two more times. Once with the Flyers in 2009-10 and the Predators in 2016-17. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
