George Richards, FHN Publisher
In the first period of the Florida Panthers final home game before the NHL All-Star break, Paul Maurice received a standing ovation from the crowd in Sunrise.
Maurice, 57, had officially passed Barry Trotz for second on the NHL all-time coaching list, and the Panthers honored him by playing a highlight reel of some of his biggest games on their Jumbotron.
His first game on Nov. 7, 1995, came after the Hartford Whalers promoted him from a first-year assistant coach to their head job.
The Whale won that one, 7-3, over San Jose. Maurice is now at 1,815 regular season games, trailing only Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman with 2,141.
“There was a lot of hair in that first picture,” Maurice joked following Florida’s 6-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes, the second of what is now a four-game winning streak.
When talking about the reaction from the crowd, Maurice got a little emotional.
Maurice noted a year ago that the response almost certainly would have been different as the Panthers struggled during the first half of his first season behind their bench.
“It was nice, really nice,” Maurice said. “I don’t know if they all felt the same way last January. But that’s pro sports for you, right? It was very nice. I got the feeling of home here.”
Things turned around for Maurice and the Panthers about this time last year, and the good times keep rolling.
Maurice is getting some well-deserved time off with the NHL now on a break for All-Star weekend in Toronto.
Had the Panthers been atop the Atlantic Division on Jan. 13, however, he would be coaching in Toronto — a trip he was more than OK with not making as he made plans to do some fishing and to visit the Fort Lauderdale Greek Festival in his Victoria Park neighborhood.
No, he is just happy his team continues to win.
So are his players.
“He has been amazing,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “That is a lot of games, a lot of players he has coached. He has coached a few different teams and it seems like he has success everywhere he goes. We are very lucky to be able to play for him and, I have said this many times before, but he has made me a much better player than I was before. For that, I am very thankful. He gets the most out of us. Hopefully, we have a lot more success throughout the season.’’
Again, Florida’s turnaround over the past calendar year should have him in the thick of the NHL Coach of the Year conversation.
Last year, on Jan. 28, the Panthers went into the All-Star break with a rousing 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Bruins.
That win, the team’s first comeback of their season, snapped a three-game losing streak.
Although the Panthers were three points outside of a playoff spot, Maurice felt it could be a turning point for his team.
Turns out, it was.
Florida went 18-10-2 the rest of the way, sliding into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Everyone knows what happened after that: Florida rallied from a 3-1 deficit to upset the record-breaking Bruins in the first round before going 8-1 to knock out the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
Despite changes to the roster and having three key players — Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour, and Sam Bennett — miss the season’s first two months, Maurice’s Panthers picked up where they left off.
Florida started this season 12-5-1 and currently sits 31-14-4, in second place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind Atlantic-leading Boston.
The Panthers had a nine-game winning streak, and their current four-game run was interrupted by a four-game slide — meaning Florida is 13-2-2 in its past 17 games.
Big difference from a year ago.
Maurice came to the Panthers knowing changing their style of play would be a challenge.
He was spot on with that assessment.
General manager Bill Zito also figured Florida’s transition from a freewheeling offensive juggernaut to a more defensive-oriented team and a tough out in the postseason would mean fewer wins.
He bet on Maurice being the man who could transform Florida’s style and have the wherewithal to withstand the tough times.
“This was a 122-point team, so people are going to expect 123 points and five more goals next year,’’ Maurice told FHN after being hired in 2022.
“That’s part of why I’m here to understand that we have to get in front of it if things get a little rocky and the challenges get a little tough.”
When Maurice spoke to FHN last December following a particularly rough stretch, it was apparent he had heard not only the catcalls from the stands but also what was being written about his coaching style on social media.
He vowed to stay the course — and did just that.
“What intrigued me most about this situation is the exact situation we are in now,’’ Maurice said.
“Zito was very open that there would be some adversity this year. There was going to be some change, and it was going to be hard. That was a big part of the appeal. Can you ride that? Can you get through the tough times?
“It has been what I thought it would be, and I am quietly excited about where it is going to go. … I have to believe we’ll heal and be better for it.”
They certainly have been.
Things have never been better in Pantherland.
Maurice deserves a lot of the credit and should also be a strong contender for his first Jack Adams Award.