How the stars aligned for Paul Maurice to become Panthers head coach

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Paul Maurice’s journey toward becoming the new coach of the Florida Panthers included a fortuitous flick of the remote control, plus was aided by a college admissions department.

He was watching games one night in January, a month or so after he stepped aside as coach of the Winnipeg Jets. He stumbled upon the Panthers and quickly told his wife that he was intrigued by their club.

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Paul Maurice, right, is introduced as the new head coach of the Florida Panthers by general manager Bill Zito, during an NHL hockey news conference at FLA Live Arena, Friday, June 23, 2022, in Sunrise, Fla.  (AP Photo/Jim Rassol)

Fast forward a few weeks, and Maurice’s son got admitted to the University of Miami. It was another sign.

"I’m thinking, ‘Hey, this could be good,’" Maurice said.

The Panthers hope he’s right. Maurice was introduced Thursday as Florida’s new coach, with the team emphasizing it found in a monthlong search his experience — he has the fourth-most games and seventh-most wins of any coach in NHL history — makes him the right fit.

"When we spoke to Paul Maurice, it was overwhelming that this was the man to be a real fit," Panthers general manager Bill Zito. "He was the fit to take us into the challenges that are ahead of us moving forward, as we move forward to ultimately what our goal is."

Zito called Maurice last week to start the interview process, which led to his hiring. Zito was a longtime agent in the NHL but had never actually met Maurice, though had several players who had played for him through the years.

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