Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice has resigned. Assistant coach Dave Lowry will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign.
Paul Maurice was in his 9th season with the Jets organization compiling a 315-223-62 record. The Jets had qualified for the playoffs each of the last 4 years under Maurice, however found themselves slumping of late, posting a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 and 3 pts back of Edmonton for the final wildcard spot.
No stranger to NHL coaching roles, Maurice previously had stints coaching the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes. He currently holds the NHL record for most career coaching losses with 680, while sitting sixth all time for wins with 755. Though he’s never won a Stanley Cup as a bench boss, he was part of the coaching staff for Team Europe in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Maurice told reporters “This is a good team, I’m a good coach…but sometimes you can only push so far…Sometimes a team needs a new voice…They haven’t quit on me, but need a different voice. It’s the right time for it, and I know that.”
Maurice did not rule out a return to coaching in the future, however for the time being it appears as though he will be taking some time away from the game to recharge his batteries. Only 54 years old, he would undoubtedly be a sought after name in NHL circles if/when he decides to return to the ice.
The Sault Ste. Marie, ON native was the 2nd longest tenured head coach in the NHL trailing only Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper heading into the season.