SUNRISE, Fla. — Paul Maurice’s contract extension talks with the Florida Panthers weren’t exactly the back-and-forth variety.
“There was really no negotiation,” Maurice said. “They made me a really nice offer and we shook hands and I said, ‘Thank you.’ And that was it.”
And with that, the Panthers keep their Stanley Cup-winning coach for the foreseeable future. Maurice and the Panthers have agreed to a contract extension, the team announced Tuesday without disclosing terms.
“I’m interested in coaching the Florida Panthers for as long as they’ll have me,” Maurice said. “It’s great to come to the rink.”
Maurice was in the final year of a three-year contract, and he was sure Panthers owners Vincent and Teresa Viola planned to keep him after leading the team to the Stanley Cup Final during each of his first two seasons.
“Paul has steadfastly led our organization to unprecedented success during his relatively short tenure in South Florida,” Panthers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Zito said in a statement. “He is a superb communicator and leader for our staff and players, possessing a keen strategic mind for the game. We are excited that Paul and his team will continue to keep the Florida Panthers as their destination franchise for the foreseeable future.”
The Panthers called overtime hours before playing Minnesota, losing that game 5-1.
“I hope the ink has dried on that thing,” Maurice joked after the match. “No, it’s an honor. I am very grateful and grateful to the Viola family, not only for their generosity, but also for the investment they have made here over the years. … We had success together, but thanks to a lot of people it was possible.”
Maurice has 98 regular season victories with Florida, already third in club history behind Jacques Martin (110) and Peter DeBoer (103). And his playoff success with the Panthers is beyond compare; he won 29 playoff games with Florida – highlighted by the team winning its first Stanley Cup last season – while every other coach in club history has 25 playoff victories.
It’s the latest big deal the team has made, and further proof that Florida’s championship core could be together for years to come.
The Panthers have already announced this season that they have signed forward Carter Verhaeghe to an eight-year extension, meaning they have several of their key players – including Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Gustav Forsling – under contract until at least 2030. And the team is also talking to forward Sam Bennett about an extension.
“The guys really trust him,” Bennett said of Maurice. “They really believe in him and his systems, and it’s clearly working. Obviously, this is great news for the Florida Panthers organization.
Maurice is second in NHL history in games coached (1,856) behind Scotty Bowman (2,141) and fourth all-time in wins (873) behind Bowman (1,244), Joel Quenneville (969) and Barry Trotz (914).
The title won by the Panthers last season was Maurice’s first Stanley Cup.
