Panthers expected to hire Paul Maurice as HC

Paul Maurice is set to be back on an NHL bench. James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers expected to hire Paul Maurice as head coach

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 6/22/22

The 2022 Stanley Cup Final still has at least two more games left, but the rest of the league has seen a furious coaching carousel take place as of late. Teams like the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers have all made significant moves recently in their coaching departments.

According to multiple reports, the Florida Panthers are joining the club on Wednesday.

3 year term for Paul Maurice. https://t.co/2dcHNsg7xU
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 22, 2022

From what I hear, I would be surprised if Brunette had interest in staying on with the Panthers in another role. And that’s understandable.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 22, 2022

Maurice has been a head coach with four different NHL franchises, beginning with his first gig with the defunct-Hartford Whalers during the 1995-1996 campaign. He holds a career 775-681-99-130 regular-season record and 41-51 mark in the postseason.

The 55-year-old Maurice's most successful playoff run came in 2002, when he led the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final, where they fell to the Detroit Red Wings. Maurice was at the helm of the Winnipeg Jets since 2013 but resigned from the role in December 2021.

The Panthers are coming off of a season in which they topped the league with a 58-18-6 record but were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida's interim head coach Andrew Brunette — who took over for Joel Quenneville, who resigned for his role in the Chicago Blackhawks' sexual assault scandal prior to his time in Florida — was nominated for the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year.

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