Tag: Paul Maurice

Paul Maurice reveals what he said to the Stanley Cup after waiting 26 years to win it

What a moment for the Panthers coach.

Paul Maurice has been known to be funny with reporters and generally not take himself too seriously.

So maybe it’s not that surprising that after 26 years coaching NHL teams — from Hartford (yes, that’s how long he’s been around) to Carolina (twice) to the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Winnipeg Jets — he’d have something to say to the Stanley Cup.

Yes, I’m serious. ESPN caught the Florida Panthers head coach just as he got to hoist the Cup, and he said something to it before his big lift.

So what did he say?

“Oh, I’ve been chasing that for a while, unkind words about how hard she was to catch,” he told ESPN’s Emily Kaplan.

A beautiful moment, and the emotions Maurice went through all night were a part of all of his interviews:

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Panthers coach Paul Maurice hysterically thanked the Oilers fans booing his team ahead of Game 3

The Edmonton boos didn’t seem to bother Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice.

The Edmonton Oilers weren’t too thrilled to host the Florida Panthers on Thursday night as the 2024 Stanley Cup entered Game 3 with Florida holding a 2-0 series lead.

The Oilers fans in attendance for the night’s home game gave the Panthers a healthy dose of boos before the game, and Panthers coach Paul Maurice didn’t seem to mind all the jeers for his hockey club.

Maurice waved at the hostile Edmonton fans and said, “thank you,” which is just the best and most hilarious way to silence the boo birds.

The Stanley Cup will bring out the boos for the competition every night, so you can’t help but respect Maurice for his very funny response for it.

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Leon Draisaitl’s dirty hit on Aleksander Barkov leads to Panthers coach Paul Maurice citing … Oprah?

This quote actually makes sense, trust us.

Leon Draisaitl nailed Aleksander Barkov with an elbow to the jaw in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, and clearly, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was NOT happy.

Why would he be? Even with the Panthers up 2-0 on the Edmonton Oilers, losing Barkov — who didn’t return in the contest — for any period of time would be alarming given his prowess on both ends of the ice.

So when Maurice was asked how he felt about the very questionable hit, the notoriously funny Maurice was dead serious with his answer that was … actually kind of funny: “This isn’t the Oprah Winfrey Show. My feelings don’t matter.”

Here’s that moment and the hit:

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Panthers coach Paul Maurice was so delightfully cheeky despite losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final

There’s no panic in sight for the wise-cracking Maurice.

Game 1 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final proved to be a tough opener for the upstart Florida Panthers — and a clearly frustrated Matthew Tkachuck — on Saturday night.

After holding their own for two stanzas, the Las Vegas Golden Knights busted the matchup open with three third-period goals to take home the 5-2 win and a 1-0 series lead. If not for the ridiculous heroics of Las Vegas goaltender Adin Hill, the game potentially never shifts this much against the Panthers.

But, even while his team took one on the chin, Florida head coach Paul Maurice kept a positive attitude in the postgame. Maurice was so positive, in fact, that he couldn’t help but crack a few wise jokes to cut the tension.

First, he urged the gathered media to relax in his own unique way.

(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

Then, he made light of the referees giving the Panthers a penalty after a seemingly fast review:

And he also had thoughts on what the Golden Knights breaking a 2-2 tie meant to the Panthers. It was a pretty straightforward explanation!

Las Vegas may have landed the first punch of this Stanley Cup Final, but I have a feeling the Panthers are far from done. Maurice’s loose and free-wheeling approach to his interviews after Game 1 is an excellent sign for his squad.