The Florida Panthers have scripted history. Winning “Lord Stanley” twice in a row, the Cats are now only the fourth team in NHL’s “cap era” history to win the Cup back-to-back. Naturally, it’s understandable that Paul Maurice, who had little playoff success before joining the Miami team, is feeling on top of the world right now. But it wasn’t always the case.
“Well, this is a heck of a team. This is the best team I’ve ever coached from a talent point of view,” said the seasoned coach after going two-for-two with the Panthers. However, his statement could be up for debate. Many hockey connoisseurs would argue that the best team that had Coach Maurice on its bench was the Winnipeg Jets, where the Ontario native was the boss for nine long years. However, the coach himself claims it was one of the hardest times of his life.
WPLG reporter Kacy Hintz posted on X on June 19, sharing Paul Maurice’s comments on how his time with the Jets made him feel exhausted. “The Winnipeg people, the ownership, the fans were better than I was at the end. I was just no good, right? I was burnt,” admits the coach to the reporters. However, he also noted how he tried his best to cope with it all.
“Winnipeg was like, it was this incredible place in my mind. So I was good when I was done. I wouldn’t say that I was proud of my career, but I could manage how I viewed it,” Maurice underscored how he created for himself a bubble where he wanted to find peace despite his shambolic run with Winnipeg. With him as the coach, the Jets played 39 playoff games, none of which were in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“Winnipeg people were better than I was at the end, I was just no good. I was burnt”
Paul Maurice stepped away from hockey in 2022 & was good w/ where he left his career. 3 yrs and 2 Cups later he’s much different person & coach thanks to “life-altering” experience w/ Panthers pic.twitter.com/yFx19LNPPg
— Kacy Hintz (@KacyHintz) June 19, 2025
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