ENDContra All American 5160 Posts user info edit post |
Maybe this is [old], but its apparently official now, and theres no obvious previous thread: http://www.nhl.com/news/2006/05/272244.html
Quote : | "12:31 PM EDT, 05/12/2006 Maple Leafs hire Maurice as coach
TORONTO -- Paul Maurice was hired Friday as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finished ninth in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs the first time since the 1997-98 season.
Paul Maurice He replaces Pat Quinn, who was fired April 20. Maurice was considered the eventual successor to Quinn when he was hired last year to coach the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
"It's humbling in a lot of ways to be charged with task of coaching this team," he said.
Maurice is the 26th head coach in Maple Leafs' history. He takes over a team that went 41-33-8 during the regular season but finished two points behind eighth-place Tampa Bay in the conference.
The 39-year-old Maurice was hired as coach of the Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes) in 1995 at 28. Maurice led the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup final before losing to Detroit. He was fired by Carolina in 2003 after compiling a 268-307-99 record over nine seasons.
Leafs general manager John Ferguson called Maurice an "ideal candidate."
"I did know from Day 1 that Paul was brought in here to coach, his capabilities as an NHL coach had been demonstrated for seven-plus years with Carolina-Hartford," Ferguson said. "Out of respect for this organization it was the right thing to do for our organization to conduct an appropriate process."
Last season, Maurice led the Marlies to a 41-29-6-4 record and fourth place in the Western Conference's North Division. The season ended with a loss to Grand Rapids in the opening round of the playoffs.
Maurice, born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, began coaching with the OHL's Detroit Jr. Red Wings in 1993, leading the club to the Memorial Cup final in 1995. He was hired as the Marlies' coach in 2005.
His move into coaching is tied to an eye injury when he was 17 - a shot during a charity game deflected off his stick. That was the season before visors became mandatory in the OHL and he was left with only peripheral vision in his right eye. It ended the possibility of an NHL career. The Philadelphia Flyers drafted Maurice 252nd, last overall in 1985, and he attended two training camps with the team." |
5/12/2006 1:00:02 PM |
pilgrimshoes Suspended 63151 Posts user info edit post |
tough job, but good for him 5/12/2006 1:01:18 PM |
HockeyRoman All American 11811 Posts user info edit post |
Pat Quinn > Paul Maurice See yeah on the golf course again next season Toronto. 5/12/2006 1:18:28 PM |
BearWhoDrive All American 5385 Posts user info edit post |
Maurice ran the epitome of an "old NHL" system. Try to get a one goal lead and then sit on it for the rest of the game. I wonder how well he'll do with the game changing the way it has.
I hope he does well. I really liked him when he was down here. 5/12/2006 1:24:48 PM |
Jabbo All American 1285 Posts user info edit post |
gg coach Mo. 5/12/2006 1:35:37 PM |
therooster All American 2559 Posts user info edit post |
The Marlies ran an up tempo offensive game, Maurice is no way attached to a certain system and his club will play with whatever works in the NHL, we didn't have the talent to run 4 lines, and teams like the Devils were winning with the trap. The Leafs will have the talent 5/12/2006 2:11:54 PM |
Blue Jay All American 3082 Posts user info edit post |
It will be interesting to see how he does without the stranglehold of a payroll he had here for so many years. I wish him luck, just not too much luck 5/12/2006 2:26:02 PM |
Dammit100 All American 17605 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "we didn't have the talent to run 4 lines, and teams like the Devils were winning with the trap." |
um.... we probably ran 4 lines more than most clubs in the league when he was here.5/12/2006 3:18:56 PM |
therooster All American 2559 Posts user info edit post |
I wasn't saying we didn't run 4 lines but rather it was low risk to have some of those lines out when you ran the 1-2-2 trap 5/13/2006 9:22:43 AM |
nutsmackr All American 46641 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "Maurice ran the epitome of an "old NHL" system. Try to get a one goal lead and then sit on it for the rest of the game. I wonder how well he'll do with the game changing the way it has. " |
nail>>head5/13/2006 9:28:35 AM |
therooster All American 2559 Posts user info edit post |
26 of the 30 nhl teams ran some form of this system before the lockout simply because it was cheap and the Devils were winning with it. Maurice changes with the league. Of teams left the winning teams (Canes, Sabres, until last night Sharks, Ducks) are are up tempo and aggressive, skating teams. The Maple Leafs will do the same. 5/13/2006 9:35:53 AM |