In his first year as Florida Panthers coach, Paul Maurice led the team to the Stanley Cup Final
On Friday, sports teams around the country paused and took a moment to appreciate the men and women who lead and guide them.
That’s because October 6th is National Coaches Day.
Here at THN Florida, we’re taking the opportunity to give a pat on the back to Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice.
It sure feels like he’s been around longer than one season, doesn’t it? Perhaps that’s the biproduct of leading the team on a Stanley Cup Final run.
Looking back at Maurice’s first season with the Panthers, it’s a lot easier to appreciate the job he did when having the advantage of seeing how everything ultimately played out.
His calm and steady demeanor allowed the team to slowly but surely understand both the x’s and o’s of his systems as well as just how much effort it would take to execute them to perfection.
It also made his epic explosion behind the bench on a late March night in Toronto that much more effective and impactful.
Overall, the combination of Maurice, a players’ coach who isn’t afraid to push his players when needed, and the Panthers locker room full of high character players looking to work hard for the benefit for the collective has led to a team capable of competing for the Stanley Cup.
How all that translates into year two remains to be seen, but on this day, we’re giving a tip of the cap of Coach Mo.
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