Before Paul Maurice took over as coach, the Florida Panthers were already a good team. With Maurice, they became a dynasty.
When the Panthers hired Maurice in June 2022, he had been an NHL head coach for the better part of 30 years and had yet to win a Stanley Cup. That changed in South Florida.
Maurice led the Panthers to three straight Stanley Cup Finals from 2023 to 2025 and guided the franchise to its first Stanley Cup title in 2024. Maurice and the Panthers hoisted the cup again in 2025, defeating the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
It took Maurice 1,985 career games, 939 wins and 26 seasons with four different franchises to capture his first Stanley Cup. Maurice's 26 seasons coached before winning a Stanley Cup are the most ever.
Check out a list of the longest-tenured head coaches in NHL history:
*Active coaches are marked with an asterisk
30 seasons - Scotty Bowman (1967-1987, 1991-2002)
28 seasons - Paul Maurice* (1995-2004, 2006-2012, 2013-present)
27 seasons - Dick Irvin (1928-1956)
25 seasons - Joel Quenneville* (1996-2004, 2005-2021, 2025-present)
25 seasons - Lindy Ruff* (1997-2004, 2005-2017, 2020-present)
24 seasons - Peter Laviolette* (2001-2004, 2005-present)
24 seasons - John Tortorella* (1999-2004, 2005-2014, 2015-2021, 2022-present)
23 seasons - Al Arbour (1970-2008)
23 seasons - Barry Trotz (1998-2004, 2005-2022)
22 seasons - Ken Hitchcock (1995-2004, 2005-2019)
20 seasons - Pat Quinn (1978-1982, 1984-1987, 1990-1994, 1995-1996, 1998-2004, 2005-2006, 2009-2010)
20 seasons - Mike Keenan (1984-1992, 1993-1999, 2000-2004, 2007-2009)
20 seasons - Darryl Sutter (1992-1995, 1997-2004, 2005-2006, 2011-2017, 2020-2023)
20 seasons - Jack Adams (1927-1947)
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