Panthers HC uses humor when discussing tenure with team

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers HC uses self-deprecating humor when discussing tenure with team

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated Jun 7, 2024 1:44 PM ET

Head coach Paul Maurice took a shot at himself on Friday during media day, just over 24 hours ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between his Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers.

Maurice was asked about what it was like being hired as the Panthers leader two years ago with the team coming off a franchise-record 122-point season during the 2021-22 campaign.

"I showed up here and they had 122 points. I managed to get them down to 92 in one year," Maurice joked. "Brilliance."

Maurice on taking over a good team in Florida:

"I showed up here and they had 122 points. I managed to get them down to 92 in one year. Brilliance."

— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) June 7, 2024

Florida had the best record in the NHL two seasons ago at 58-18-6 but was swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Then-interim head coach Andrew Brunette — who took over for Joel Quenneville, who resigned as a result of the Chicago Blackhawks' sexual assault scandal prior to his time with the Panthers — was nominated for the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year.

Brunette left for an assistant gig with the New Jersey Devils last season and was then named the head coach of the Nashville Predators for the 2023-24 campaign.

After going 42-32-8 with 92 points in Maurice's first regular season at the helm and being the final wild card team to qualify for the playoffs, the Panthers made a stunning run to the Stanley Cup Finals as a No. 8. They shocked the record-breaking Boston Bruins squad before eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes and then falling to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Florida finished atop the Atlantic Division with 110 points and a 52-24-6 mark this season and skated past the Lightning in the first round in five games before eliminating the Bruins and New York Rangers in six games apiece in the second round and Eastern Conference Finals, respectively.

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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