The Winnipeg Jets have announced some shocking news, revealing that Paul Maurice has resigned as head coach effective immediately. Dave Lowry will take over head coaching duties on an interim basis.
Maurice met with the media to explain why he has made the decision to leave and said that the Jets are a very good team but they’ve consistently performed under where they could be of late. He stated that he believes it’s time for a new voice behind the bench in Winnipeg, despite noting that he doesn’t believe the team “quit” on him. Maurice spoke with general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff about the situation last summer, and there was no single breaking point, just that there needed to be a new voice.
The veteran coach is proud of the work he did in Winnipeg, explaining that he believes he helped take them from a “bottom 10 situation to a top 10 situation.” He mentioned the “law of diminishing returns” to explain that when he pushes a button now, he doesn’t get quite the same reaction.
Maurice had been the second longest-tenured coach in the NHL, behind only Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had another year on his contract with the Jets, though it was an option that will obviously now not be exercised. He explained that he’s not embarrassed by this decision and “feels good” that he doesn’t have a game to coach tonight or a job to chase tomorrow. He noted that may be the first time in 26 years that he has felt that way.
It’s been “more of a grind” for Maurice to come to the rink the last two years, as the excitement has waned for him after a long career. That was especially true during last year’s season without fans; the coach asked the collected media “what’s the point” without the energy in the building.
To sum it up, Maurice said this:
I just don’t want to watch those guys fight for the rest of the year, when I think they could be better with someone else.
Cheveldayoff explained that Lowry is expected to serve as head coach the rest of the season.
Now this is a SHOCKER!
What a shock but is there something up with another team…he will not be without a job to long..
Philly just texted him
euh, I’d let Yeo stick around a bit longer, things have been much better recently.
if he’s looking for teams that won’t underperform, Philly is the last place he’s going to want to go.
Shocked. I always felt the team underperformed though. Not because of Maurice. I think it has something to do with the core in that room. He won’t be unemployed for long. I imagine Philadelphia and Chicago are interested. It’s a shame that MTL prioritizes speaking French over being a good coach. He’d be a good fit there.
I agree, speaking French would be helpful for the media, but they seem to okay in baseball. But last I heard, the Canadien’s players all speak English.
And the day any of you can credibly say “The media and fans in my city would be fine with a monolingual Hispanic head coach,” we’ll take the demurrals seriously.
Well, Nha…when the day comes that all our players speak Spanish and can comprehend that coach’s message and respond to it, I’ll have no problem at all with it.
Come on, bud, use your head and be better.
@hockeydude77 you see @nhatrang is so blinded by his righteousness and his narrow mindedness he’s refusing to admit any point of reference other than his own. Its common practice to hire non native speaker as a hc in soccer. Doesnt affect their ability to be succesful. Google Guus Hiddink
He will only go to a solid organization.
Detroit I’ve heard recently with him not resigning the extension.
No Philly(although they could use it). No MTL,Nash,SJS….I could see Anaheim. But I’ve heard Detroit for a few weeks.
Nashville? Heck, John Hynes is coach of the year as of now! Just look at their roster.
Wow!! I’m shocked.
Kudos to Maurice for the job he has done over the years.
Gotta give Mo credit for reckonizing that the team stalled under his reign as coach. That roster is better than what their record indicates.
Paul Maurice is your sigma male of the year candidate.
Don’t ever miss any opportunity to project your insecurity.
What? Are you speaking in riddles now? Been watching those canadian commercials much?
Sometimes the most qualified person to tell you that your time is up, is you.
I have said the Jets have needed a new coach for years. For like 5 or 6 years.
And after this statement “Lowry is expected to serve as head coach the rest of the season” I now see that they need a new GM, too.
Chevy wasted years of this teams’ prime conservatively holding on to the wrong coach. So now, when he finally has the chance to find the right guy…he hands the keys to a random assistant.
I was not a fan of Maurice when he was with the Whalers. He was “so-so”, his teams normally don’t make the playoffs and his win % in the playoffs was .446 (pretty poor). Maurice (in his presser) made it seem like he has this track record of turning bad teams into decent teams, that’s not what history shows. Seems to me he was given the option to resign gracefully or be fired. And I don’t see how Lowry is going to be a “new” voice. If they want a new voice and “direction”, then get rid of GM Chevy too. It’s obvious the players don’t trust him after the Chicago report findings went public.
“It’s obvious that the players don’t trust him after the Chicago report findings went public”?
How exactly do you figure that? How is it “obvious” to you that the players don’t trust the GM?
@hockeydude77 He doesnt need any proof. All his claims are based as they are. Objectivity is for losers you see. He’s superior