The Florida Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have signed head coach Paul Maurice to a multi-year contract extension. Specific details about the extension were not disclosed.
In the announcement, Bill Zito, Panthers’ President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, praised Maurice for bringing the team unprecedented success during his relatively short time in South Florida. Zito highlighted Maurice’s strong communication and leadership skills, as well as his strategic understanding of the game. He expressed excitement for Maurice and his staff to continue building the Panthers as a top franchise in the future.
Maurice, 57, is in his third season as the Panthers’ head coach, with a 98-58-15 regular-season record and a 29-16 postseason mark. He led the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup victory last season and has guided them to two Stanley Cup Finals and an Atlantic Division title.
With 1,855 games coached, Maurice ranks second in NHL history behind Scotty Bowman. He is also fourth on the all-time wins list with 873 career victories. Before joining Florida, Maurice coached several other NHL teams, including the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Hartford Whalers. He led the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final and has reached the conference finals multiple times with both the Hurricanes and Jets.
As of Tuesday, the Panthers are off to a strong start in the 2024-25 season with a 4-2-1 record. Sam Reinhart, who had a career-high 57 goals last season, leads the team with five goals and seven assists for 12 points.
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