Florida Panthers, Paul Maurice Agree To Contract Extension

The Florida Panthers extended the contracts of several players over the past calendar year. Now it’s the head coach’s turn.

The team announced they came to an agreement with Paul Maurice for a multi-year contract extension. The length and terms have not been announced. He is currently on the final year of a three-year contract.

“Paul has resolutely led our organization to unprecedented success during his relatively short tenure in South Florida,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in a press release. “He is a superb communicator and leader for our staff and players, possessing a keen strategic mind for the game. We are excited for Paul and his staff to continue to keep the Florida Panthers as a destination franchise for the foreseeable future.”

Maurice, 57, brought the Panthers to the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history back in 2023, and brought them back the following year for their first championship ever. It was also Maurice’s first Stanley Cup.

In his first two years in Sunrise, the 27-year coach already smashed the most playoff wins in Panthers history with 29. His 98 regular season wins with Florida rank third all-time behind Peter DeBoer (103) and Jacques Martin (110).

Entering Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, Maurice has coached the second-most games in NHL history with 1,855. He trails only Scotty Bowman, who coached 2,141 games.

On opening night, the Panthers announced winger Carter Verhaeghe agreed to an eight-year extension. There are now six Panthers players signed through at least 2030, including Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, and Gustav Forsling.