FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tomas Nosek faced every hockey player`s worst moment. It was overtime in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, and the veteran Florida Panthers forward found himself in the penalty box for a delay of game infraction after sending the puck over the glass late in extra time. He could only watch, powerless, as Leon Draisaitl of Edmonton scored the game-winning goal on the ensuing power play.
That was a crushing blow for Nosek. However, Coach Paul Maurice`s immediate response was designed to ensure the devastating feeling did not linger.
“You just remind him after the game of being down 2-0 to Toronto [in the second round] when that [fourth] line came in and changed everything for us,” Maurice said in his postgame media availability. “And how we are not here [in the Final] without Tomas. It`s a tough break. So, we`ll just make sure he doesn`t eat alone tonight. He`s got lots of people sitting at his table and reminding him how good he`s been to us.”
Nosek, a 32-year-old who has played for five different NHL clubs, was surprised by this level of empathy, calling the interaction unique compared to his experiences in other dressing rooms.
“He`s a tremendous person. He said some things that he didn`t need to say, but he said it,” Nosek commented. “And that`s what makes him, for me, a really, really good coach and a really good person as well.”
Like Nosek, Maurice has moved between several teams throughout his career. It is with the Panthers, his sixth organization, that he seems to have found his most significant impact. Beyond simply guiding Florida to a third consecutive Cup Final – where they are aiming for a second straight championship after their first one a year ago – Maurice has been central to reshaping the team`s culture.
Before Maurice arrived in 2022, the Panthers were a strong team on the verge of something more. Three years into his tenure, Florida is now flirting with dynasty status.
Naturally, this transformation isn`t solely Maurice`s doing. But regardless of whether he takes credit, Maurice has been a vital piece in helping the Panthers excel, both as a unit and through individual player growth.
“Every single guy respects him so much,” forward Sam Bennett stated. “When he speaks, everyone`s listening, and I think the team`s really just bought into the culture that he`s implemented into this team. We`re all willing to do whatever it takes and play that hard style that he keeps preaching to us, night in and night out, and we`ve all just bought into that over the years.”
A TURNING POINT It was just before Christmas in 2021 when Maurice felt his time as coach of the Winnipeg Jets, a role he`d held for nine seasons, had reached its natural conclusion. Observing the team`s slump (4-7-2), he recognized they needed a fresh perspective behind the bench.
“If you`ll allow me some arrogance, I feel I`m better positioned than anyone to know that they need a new voice,” Maurice said when announcing his resignation. “They need somebody that can get them to that next place.”
Ironically, the Panthers would soon find themselves in a similar situation. Maurice didn`t know at the time that he was the ideal person for that future opening. When he stepped down in Winnipeg, he cited a lost passion for coaching, feeling that without it, he couldn`t perform at his best.
While Maurice contemplated his future, the Panthers were enjoying a highly successful present. Florida dominated the 2021-22 regular season, earning the franchise`s first Presidents` Trophy with 122 points. However, this regular-season success didn`t translate into a deep playoff run, as they were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Following this playoff exit, Florida was the team needing a new voice. After the season, General Manager Bill Zito moved on from interim head coach Andrew Brunette. Despite Brunette`s success in leading the team, Zito sought a different long-term fit – and Maurice was open to returning to coaching.
His arrival proved to be an excellent match, for reasons extending beyond his coaching abilities. Maurice had barely settled in when Zito executed a significant trade in July 2022, sending top scorer Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to Calgary for forward Matthew Tkachuk.
This blockbuster trade overshadowed the coaching news, yet both additions were crucial in redefining the Panthers` identity. Tkachuk`s arrival perfectly embodied the physically assertive style Maurice intended to implement. Almost instantly, Florida found harmony between a superstar player and their coach, making it easier to align the rest of the roster, a process aided by Maurice`s strong ability to connect with his players.
“He`s open, honest and speaks his mind,” forward Evan Rodrigues noted. “I don`t think he holds back by any means. [He`s] very smart. Knows kind of what to say and when to say it, and does a great job of motivating us.”
Communication might be one of Maurice`s greatest assets, except perhaps when discussing himself. He reached his 1,000th career win when Florida defeated Edmonton 6-1 in Game 3 of the Cup Final, an achievement he largely deflected commenting on personally. However, he was visibly moved by Sam Bennett`s positive remarks about the team`s respect for him, calling it “a very kind thing.”
“If you walk into the room and you just tell the truth,” Maurice explained, “whether they want to hear it or not but it`s the truth, and over time you could look back and say what that person told me was the truth, you`ll have respect for that, I think. So I work hard at trying to find the truth every day and then just telling it as simply as I can with the occasional joke slipped in. Most times I`m the only one that thinks it`s funny.”
Carter Verhaeghe couldn`t help but smile when asked about Maurice and the unique quirks that define his personality in the modern game.
“He`s one of a kind,” Verhaeghe said. “We see his sense of humor with [the media] and he kind of has the same sense of humor with us. He keeps everything light but makes you want to work; and for the right reasons, for each other. At any given time, he knows what the group needs … it keeps us loose and focused at the same time.”
Fortunately for Maurice, it`s not just his sense of humor that has established the Panthers as a desirable destination for players, particularly those seeking to revitalize their careers. While the lack of state income tax is a known draw for NHL free agents, the appeal of playing for the Panthers extends beyond financial savings. With a record of 141-87-18 under Maurice, Florida has become a consistent playoff powerhouse and seems to possess a unique ability to help new players achieve some of their best performances.
A prime example is A.J. Greer. The veteran signed a two-year deal last July and posted a career-high 17 points in the regular season, becoming a key contributor on the effective fourth line during this postseason run. The way Maurice has made Greer`s unit with Nosek feel essential is a testament to his skill in maximizing his roster.
“Every player that comes into this organization elevates their game and gets to a certain point where you`re like, `Wow. Why wasn`t he like this in the other organizations?` It translates from the head coach,” Greer stated. “He`s a lot of different coaches that I`ve had kind of combined into one. He`s kind of just a complete package of being able to motivate us and elevate our games mentally.”
High performance has become the expectation for players joining the Panthers. Maurice himself embodies this standard. While he holds strong beliefs in his system, his evolution as a coach has taught him to be more flexible in his daily approach.
“I`ve spent a lot of years in this league grinding and spitting nails every single day,” Maurice reflected. “It`s too hard to do. You have to be able to find places where you can laugh a little bit and enjoy it. Once you know everyone`s going to work their butt off, it`s easy to do.”
This flexibility is evident in how Maurice manages practice during the playoffs. Florida didn`t skate at all after winning Game 3 and held only an optional practice the morning before Game 4. Maurice is willing to adjust the schedule based on the team`s needs, demonstrating an understanding of what players require to succeed. This intuition allows him to know when practice is necessary and, crucially, when to end it.
“In my relationship with these players, [I ask], when was the last time we added a drill or a skate to practice? I haven`t done it in three years,” he said. “All I do is as soon as I think I get them to the threshold, I shut practice down. Then you get to have a good time. If you believe that you`ve worked as hard as you can, then there`s nothing left to do.”
UNCHANGED BY SUCCESS They say winning changes a person. Apparently, that is not the case for Maurice, at least according to his team, who continue to receive the same consistent message from their coach even after lifting the Stanley Cup a season ago.
“He [brings] pretty much the same stuff. Nothing really changed,” Anton Lundell observed. “I think you guys know, too; he`s got a lot of things to say, so it`s not only one or two things. He always switches it up and rotates his quotes. But it`s fun to be here, and as a group we like him.”
Any shift in Maurice since winning the Cup has been positive for the Panthers. Their path to the Final this year involved more challenges, with periods of strong play interspersed with struggles that led to questions about their ability to repeat as champions.
Maurice effectively kept the team composed through these fluctuations, allowing them to eventually reach their peak form.
“He`s the same guy, the same coach,” defenseman Gustav Forsling said. “Maybe even better, probably. He`s really good. He`s still very much looking at every game and he`s reading into everything. And he`s giving us the best chance to win every night.”
Perhaps Maurice`s greatest strength is his ability to instill confidence. Regardless of whether the Panthers are leading or trailing in a playoff series – as they have been at times this spring – they do not panic or collapse. They might stumble, but they have a safety net. This security comes from Maurice and his coaching philosophies, which resonate because they demonstrably work. The Panthers trust that following his lead will bring positive results.
And they might be just days away from proving that fact once again.
“I don`t think he`s changed since winning [the Cup]. He`s the same,” Bennett reiterated. “He can be hard on us. He`s hard on us when he needs to be. And then he`s relaxed with us when he knows that we need [it], so I think he really does have a good feel for what our team needs. We all have the most respect for him.”
