Paul Maurice
Encyclopedia
Paul Maurice is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and twice head coach of the National Hockey League
's Carolina Hurricanes
. At age 43, Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games. Maurice reached this milestone on November 28, 2010. Originally a defenseman in the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL), Maurice's playing career ended after an eye injury. Maurice formerly coached the Hartford Whalers
/Hurricanes franchise from 1995–2003 and the Toronto Maple Leafs
from 2006–2008. On December 3, 2008, Maurice was re-hired by the Hurricanes after the firing of Peter Laviolette
, who had replaced him in 2003. On November 28th, 2011 the Carolina Hurricanes announced that he had been fired for a second time.
' 12th choice, 252nd overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, five spots after former Maple Leafs Vice-President and General Manager
John Ferguson, Jr. was taken by the Montreal Canadiens.
In 1985, Paul played defense for the Windsor Spitfires
of the OHL. He was struck in the eye by a puck, which had ricocheted off his stick, during a charity hockey game in which he was participating. He still has a blind spot and suffers fuzziness on the right side of his field of vision. When goalie Pat Jablonski
was sent down by the St. Louis Blues, the Windsor Spitfires were therefore in excess number of players. At this point he was given the option by team owner Peter Karmanos to be traded or step behind the bench. He thus began his coaching career with the Detroit Junior Red Wings (a team Karmanos operated) of the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) from 1993 to 1995, leading the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup
and a second place finish in Memorial Cup
in 1995.
, Maurice followed Karmanos to coach the Whalers (later the Carolina Hurricanes
) of the NHL
in 1995, at the remarkably young age of 28. Throughout much of his tenure, he was the youngest active coach in the NHL. The high point of his NHL career came in the 2001–02 NHL season, when the Hurricanes
reached the Stanley Cup
finals, losing to the Detroit Red Wings
. After coaching 604 regular season games, he was let go by the Hurricanes
in 2003 when the team started the first 20 games 8–12. Under Maurice the Hurricanes achieved three winning seasons from 1998–2002.
On June 24, 2005, he was hired to coach the Toronto Marlies
, after the team had relocated from St. John's, Newfoundland. In the 2005–06 season, the Marlies qualified for fourth playoff spot in their division. They were subsequently eliminated by the Grand Rapids Griffins
in the first round.
Maurice reached several coaching milestones during his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, registering a career-high in wins (40) and points percentage (.555). He also earned his 300th NHL victory March 6, 2007 versus Washington and coached his 750th NHL game March 27, 2007 versus Carolina.
On May 7, 2008, Maurice was fired by interim Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher
, after missing the playoffs for two seasons in a row.
On December 3, 2008, Maurice was re-hired by the Hurricanes, selected to take over for Peter Laviolette
(for whom Maurice had been fired five years prior) as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes
.
On November 28, 2010, at age 43, Maurice became the youngest person to reach 1,000 NHL games coached.
Maurice was fired by the Hurricanes for a second time on November 28, 2011, after the team began the season with a record of 8-13-4.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. At age 43, Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games. Maurice reached this milestone on November 28, 2010. Originally a defenseman in the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL), Maurice's playing career ended after an eye injury. Maurice formerly coached the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
/Hurricanes franchise from 1995–2003 and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
from 2006–2008. On December 3, 2008, Maurice was re-hired by the Hurricanes after the firing of Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
, who had replaced him in 2003. On November 28th, 2011 the Carolina Hurricanes announced that he had been fired for a second time.
Playing career
Maurice was the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
' 12th choice, 252nd overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, five spots after former Maple Leafs Vice-President and General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
John Ferguson, Jr. was taken by the Montreal Canadiens.
In 1985, Paul played defense for the Windsor Spitfires
Windsor Spitfires
The Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1975–76 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953.-History:The...
of the OHL. He was struck in the eye by a puck, which had ricocheted off his stick, during a charity hockey game in which he was participating. He still has a blind spot and suffers fuzziness on the right side of his field of vision. When goalie Pat Jablonski
Pat Jablonski
Patrick D. Jablonski was a professional ice hockey goaltender. Between 1989 and 1998, he played for five teams in the National Hockey League: the St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes.Jablonski, who played junior hockey the Windsor...
was sent down by the St. Louis Blues, the Windsor Spitfires were therefore in excess number of players. At this point he was given the option by team owner Peter Karmanos to be traded or step behind the bench. He thus began his coaching career with the Detroit Junior Red Wings (a team Karmanos operated) of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL) from 1993 to 1995, leading the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Ontario Hockey League playoff championship. It was presented by and named for John Ross Robertson, the president of the Ontario Hockey Association who served from 1899 to 1905.Originally it was awarded to the...
and a second place finish in Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
in 1995.
Coaching career
After Peter Karmanos purchased the Hartford WhalersHartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
, Maurice followed Karmanos to coach the Whalers (later the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
) of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
in 1995, at the remarkably young age of 28. Throughout much of his tenure, he was the youngest active coach in the NHL. The high point of his NHL career came in the 2001–02 NHL season, when the Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
reached the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals, losing to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. After coaching 604 regular season games, he was let go by the Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
in 2003 when the team started the first 20 games 8–12. Under Maurice the Hurricanes achieved three winning seasons from 1998–2002.
On June 24, 2005, he was hired to coach the Toronto Marlies
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies is a Canadian professional ice hockey team currently playing in the American Hockey League . The top affiliate of the National Hockey League 's Toronto Maple Leafs, the Marlies play at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario...
, after the team had relocated from St. John's, Newfoundland. In the 2005–06 season, the Marlies qualified for fourth playoff spot in their division. They were subsequently eliminated by the Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League....
in the first round.
Maurice reached several coaching milestones during his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, registering a career-high in wins (40) and points percentage (.555). He also earned his 300th NHL victory March 6, 2007 versus Washington and coached his 750th NHL game March 27, 2007 versus Carolina.
On May 7, 2008, Maurice was fired by interim Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher
Cliff Fletcher
George Clifford Fletcher is a National Hockey League executive and is a former general manager of the Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes . He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs...
, after missing the playoffs for two seasons in a row.
On December 3, 2008, Maurice was re-hired by the Hurricanes, selected to take over for Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
(for whom Maurice had been fired five years prior) as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
.
On November 28, 2010, at age 43, Maurice became the youngest person to reach 1,000 NHL games coached.
Maurice was fired by the Hurricanes for a second time on November 28, 2011, after the team began the season with a record of 8-13-4.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | Hartford Whalers Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97... |
1995–96 | 70 | 29 | 33 | 8 | – | (77) | 5th in Northeast Northeast Division (NHL) The NHL's Northeast Division was formed in 1993 as part of the Eastern Conference in a league realignment, the predecessor of which was the Adams Division... |
– | – | – | Missed Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 82 | 32 | 39 | 11 | – | 75 | 5th in Northeast | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |||
| Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
1997–98 | 82 | 33 | 41 | 8 | – | 74 | 6th in Northeast | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs | ||
| 1998–99 | 82 | 34 | 30 | 18 | – | 86 | 1st in Southeast Southeast Division (NHL) The NHL's Southeast Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Eastern Conference due to expansion.The Southeast Division is the only one of the six divisions that does not have a precursor from the Wales/Campbell conference era .... |
2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conf. Quarter-Finals | |||
| 1999–2000 | 82 | 37 | 35 | 10 | 0 | 84 | 3rd in Southeast | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |||
| 2000–01 | 82 | 38 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 88 | 2nd in Southeast | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conf. Quarter-Finals | |||
| 2001–02 | 82 | 35 | 26 | 16 | 5 | 91 | 1st in Southeast | 13 | 10 | .565 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals | |||
| 2002–03 | 82 | 22 | 43 | 11 | 6 | 61 | 5th in Southeast | – | – | – | Missed Playoffs | |||
| 2003–04 | 30 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 2 | (76) | – | – | – | – | (fired) | |||
| HAR/CAR total-1st Stint | 674 | 268 | 291 | 99 | 16 | 651 | 17 | 18 | .486 | 3 Playoff Appearances | ||||
| Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
2006–07 | 82 | 40 | 31 | – | 11 | 91 | 3rd in Northeast | Missed Playoffs | |||||
| 2007–08 | 82 | 36 | 35 | – | 11 | 83 | 5th in Northeast | Missed Playoffs | ||||||
| TOR total | 164 | 76 | 66 | – | 22 | 174 | ||||||||
| Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
57 | 33 | 19 | – | 5 | (97) | 2nd in Southeast | 8 | 10 | .444 | Lost in Conf. Finals | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 35 | 37 | – | 10 | 80 | 3rd in Southeast | Missed Playoffs | ||||||
| 2010–11 | 82 | 40 | 31 | – | 11 | 91 | 3rd in Southeast | Missed Playoffs | ||||||
| 2011–12 | 25 | 8 | 13 | – | 4 | 3rd in Southeast | (fired) | |||||||
| CAR total-2nd Stint | 246 | 116 | 100 | – | 30 | 242 | 8 | 10 | .444 | 1 Playoff Appearance | ||||
| CAR total-Overall | 920 | 384 | 391 | 99 | 46 | 893 | 25 | 28 | .472 | 4 Playoff Appearances | ||||
| Career | 1084 | 460 | 457 | 99 | 69 | 1067 | 25 | 28 | .472 | 4 Playoff Appearances | ||||