Thanks and Good Luck To Paul Maurice & His Family [Archive]

ausoleil

12-15-2003, 03:07 PM

As much as many of us have called for Paul Murice to be replaced, it is not without a little sadness to see him go. He is a good man, and has done much for our community and also leading our hockey team. It would be remiss to forget to mention that it was during his tenure that the Hurricanes reached their franchise pinnacle, a period in which all of the eyes of the hockey world were focused squarely on Raleigh and on our team.

That said, I personally hope that PM has the best of fortunes and that he gets to lead another team soon, one where he will be free of all of the baggage that inevitably accumulates during a long stay at the top of a pro sports team. I also hope that his family bears up well in this difficult time and that they too proper in the coming new year.

Paul, thanks for everything and best of luck.

Captain Slack

12-15-2003, 03:11 PM

Hear, hear!

Guyute

12-15-2003, 03:12 PM

Well said.

Best of luck Mo. Hope to see you in the playoffs. ;)

EpiK-KA14

12-15-2003, 03:12 PM

Well said.

While I was a big time member of the "Mo Must Go" contingent, it was never personal. I wish him and his family all the best and thank him for his efforts over the years.

His humor will be missed, but glad to see his boring/smothering style of hockey go...

guinevere

12-15-2003, 03:13 PM

What a really nice thing to say. I concur whole heartedly. This may be a weight off of his shoulders too when all is said and done. Even good coaches leave. Its the nature of the game.

Shell

12-15-2003, 03:18 PM

Very well said, and I couldn't agree more!

SouthernCaniac

12-15-2003, 03:29 PM

I've got a lump in my throat after seeing footage of him coaching and chewing that ever-present gum. When it's all said and done, Paul Maurice will be remembered as the man who took our rag tag "mongrels" to the Stanley Cup Finals, and, in the process, gave all us die hard fans the memories of a lifetime.
May the road rise to meet you, Paul.

StormShaman

12-15-2003, 03:43 PM

Rack it.

I'm happy that we have a coaching change, but that doesn't mean I wish ill upon the man. :cool:

Fair winds and following seas, Mo. Good luck wherever you wind up (except when your new team plays us--nothing personal, just business). :)

IcyRed

12-15-2003, 03:43 PM

Ditto on the lump in the throat.

Thanks for everything Mo. Thanks for bringing hockey to a non-hockey town. Thanks for showing us how exciting hockey can be. Thanks for giving us a shot at Lord Stanley's Cup. Thanks for all the hard work.

May fate smile upon you Mo, you had a good run here.

IcyRed

nccanes

12-15-2003, 03:45 PM

JaroFan

12-15-2003, 03:45 PM

Great post, I wish him all the best.

I'm also sad to hear about Ladouceur. I taught his son, Josh, last year. It's sad to see it on a personal level - they also have a daughter in college here.

canefan2k1

12-15-2003, 03:47 PM

I agree whole-heartedly..

I hate to see him go. :cry:

Flanman

12-15-2003, 03:55 PM

I too would like to offer Mr. Maurice the best. Even as one of the outspoken MMG contingent, I know he should indeed be praised for what he has done for this franchise. I am sure his message will be heard and heeded by the next group of young men that he leads. A good man, a family man, and someone who will have my respect for the memories that he created for me during his time here.

May the sun always shine on your face...

00Flanagan

Time to usher in a new era of winning hockey in Carolina! Go CANES!

tommy

12-15-2003, 03:58 PM

He's still got a future ahead of him. I don't believe we've seen the last of Mr. Maurice. :)

Shell

12-15-2003, 03:58 PM

I think he will be snatched up in a hurry!

chandongirl

12-15-2003, 04:03 PM

:cry: Best of Luck Mo Diddy :D I feel a little bittersweet....

...I'm sure we'll be seeing you again soon....

Stormbringer

12-15-2003, 04:16 PM

PennsylvaniaCanesFan

12-15-2003, 04:36 PM

I agree with all the posts in this tread...Good luck Mo.

Kapanen024

12-15-2003, 04:37 PM

He's still got a future ahead of him. I don't believe we've seen the last of Mr. Maurice. :)

Not at all... someone'll scoop him up. :)

PennsylvaniaCanesFan

12-15-2003, 04:51 PM

I can see Mo becoming an assistant of a team needing defense badly. I don't know which or when, but he will play again. Let's face facts here. When you can hold a team to a score like 1-0 or 2-1, your defence is right on...but we need offense now, not defence.

RIO

12-15-2003, 05:40 PM

Mr. Maurice, please take care of yourself and the best of luck to you. Many of us, in spite of the upheaval, are very sad to be losing you. You're a first-class guy (and not half bad to look at either. ;) )

Best wishes!

RIO and Lady

MeanGene

12-15-2003, 05:45 PM

Good Luck to you Coach Mo!!

Who is going to give out Hurricanes schedules on Halloween now
??? :sad: ;)

Bridgestreetrun

12-15-2003, 06:23 PM

In the words of Bob Hope

Thanks for the Memories

:)

netterau

12-15-2003, 07:06 PM

Thanks to Paul Maurice and good luck to him in the future!

Throughout his long stay (and IMO, too long stay) with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes organization I've enjoyed his stoneface figure behind the bench, his' constant and nervous chewing on some chewing-gum (that must have lost all form of taste of flavour by the time the national anthem was over, judging from the intesity of his' jaws) and his' sometimes hilarious post game comments... but most of all I have, from the bottom of my heart, enjoyed his' many achievements!

Fact is that, while I was truly behind (and by sending emails to JR, actively taking part in) trying to make JR see how badly a coaching change was needed, one of the most joyous periods in my life so far (THAT PLAYOFF) was very much thanks to Mr. Paul Maurice.

Why he needed to go, well, this is not the place to dicuss this.

It feels utterly strange and in a sense rather sad to imagine this team without him. He's been here so long that he has, one might say, grown into becoming a part of the whole idea of what Carolina Hurricanes actually is - not as a coach, more like a character that sort of is synonymous with the team. That character I WILL sadly miss!

Take good care of yourself, Paul Maurice!

Turbulence

12-15-2003, 07:45 PM

He was the best coach this team has ever seen...and his contributions to hockey in North Carolina will not be forgotten.

Coach Mo will find another head coaching position very, very fast. There are a number of teams that have coaches on shaky ground...and Mo could find himself on any number of them. Good luck, Coach.

SouthernHockeyChick

12-15-2003, 08:10 PM

I was lucky enough to have moved to the Raleigh area just in time for the 01-02 season. Those playoffs were what made me absolutely fall in love with this team and Coach Mo was a HUGE part of that. He is a classy guy and that is exactly what this team needed to help introduce hockey to this area. Now, we need something else. We are moving into a new era with this team and I hope to see Coach Mo move into a different and hopefully even more fulfilling era as well. Good luck and best wishes to a great guy!!

Now....GO CANES!!!

AbNormal27

12-15-2003, 08:41 PM

I would like to echo the sentiments of all of you from way up here in St. Thomas. Thanks Paul, you won't be forgotten.

Aaryn

apolinar

12-15-2003, 08:50 PM

It said it all at the end of the last televised game when they lost. Mo was shocked and near tears at the end. He had given it his best, he still believed in his team. He cared about us and the team. He coached as best as he could for us and the guys. Yes, it's time for a change for both the canes and coach mo. Mo may find the team that can finish the job in the SCF in the future, and as long as it ain't against the canes, I'll cheer for his team to win, so coach Mo can win. THIS NEW COACH HAS DAMN BIG SHOES TO FILL.

Cool Hand Luke

12-15-2003, 08:54 PM

Good luck to a good man and a very nice man.

caveman

12-15-2003, 09:18 PM

I think Paul's best coaching job might not have been the 2001-2002 team he took to the SCF. He had a really hot line (BBC), 2 goalies which exchanged hot streaks (Irbe and Weekes), and the benefit of having the #1 and #2 teams falter in the first round of the playoffs.

I think Mo's best job might have been winning the division title in 1998-1999. With a mixed bag of talent on the roster (not much) and playing in the half-empty Greensboro arena, he took the team to the division title. And after the devestating loss of Chiasson and a year in which they barely missed the playoffs in 1999-2000, again he coached a team with a relatively low payroll into the playoffs again in 2000-2001.

In all, from 1998-1999 to the 2001-2002 seasons, Coach Mo ran a well-coached, overachieving team with a lot of class, and more than its share of success. After finishing last in the division in 1997-1998 after the move from Hartford, Mo led the team to 2 division titles in 4 years and 34-30-18, 37-35-10, 38-32-9-3, and 35-26-16-5 records, for a 4-year total of 144-123-53-8, well above .500 for a team whose payroll consistently ranked in the bottom 3rd of the NHL.

And not a single game can somebody point to me and say, Coach Mo didn't coach his butt off. Thanks, Coach Paul Maurice, for steering the ship with so much class for so many years. Best of luck to Coach Laviolette, I hope he can take a team with the highest payroll in the history of the Hurricanes franchise to new heights.

MoBigRed

12-15-2003, 09:19 PM

I was as ready as anyone for Maurice and the Canes to go their separate ways, but i can't deny liking the guy. Always enjoyed watching the interviews and i really wish things could have gone differently over the past couple years.

Good luck in the future to a great guy.

MBR

caniac369

12-15-2003, 10:56 PM

:cry: Best of Luck Mo Diddy :D

What ever will his Escalade girls do without him? *sound of champagne glasses clinking to a best wishes toast*

puckin_A

12-16-2003, 09:26 PM

you guys actually liked Coach Mo???? dang......I couldn't imagine the
things you would say if you hated him. Could of fooled me.

SouthernHockeyChick

12-16-2003, 09:31 PM

you guys actually liked Coach Mo???? dang......I couldn't imagine the
things you would say if you hated him. Could of fooled me.

I think almost everyone made it abundantly clear over and over again that their feelings about Mo as a coach were VERY separate from their feelings about him as a person. But, it seems to me that many folks have clearly been reading things however they please no matter what words were actually written for months and are just now letting that boil over, I suppose. But I must say that I find the moral condescension a little un-attractive. This is sports. All of us need to stop taking things so damn personally, IMO.

And I'd like to point out that had none of us ever said a nice word about Mo and expressed our sorrow that a good man is jobless we'd have all been labeled horrible people who were rejoicing over a man losing his job. It's a no win situation for some of us. But I refuse to apologize for my opinion that we are better off with a different coach.

Guyute

12-17-2003, 09:37 AM

All of us need to stop taking things so damn personally, IMO.

YES.

StormShaman

12-17-2003, 10:00 AM

you guys actually liked Coach Mo???? dang......I couldn't imagine the
things you would say if you hated him. Could of fooled me.

*sigh*

Debi, I don't think you will find many people who will say bad things about Paul Maurice the person--and those that do say bad things about PaulMo the person are just ignorami that don't know anything about the man.

My problem with him (and I'm speaking only for myself--everyone else can speak for themselves) has always been with his coaching. Everything I've said on this board in the MMG threads and elsewhere has been about his coaching. He was the Hurricanes version of ex-NCSU football coach Mike O'Cain: wonderful human being, great in the community, and somebody that you feel privileged to know personally--but just unable to get it done as a coach.

ausoleil

12-17-2003, 11:23 AM

He was the Hurricanes version of ex-NCSU football coach Mike O'Cain: wonderful human being, great in the community, and somebody that you feel privileged to know personally--but just unable to get it done as a coach.

As both a Hurricane and an NCSU fan (LTR/STH in football) I wholeheartedly agree. Let's hope that Lav rathets up the hockey team the way that Amato has done with Wolfpack football. Even though the Pack had a bad year this year (for them) they were incredibly exciting to watch and were in ach and every ball game except for one. They could easily be 10-2 if the breaks had gone their way. If the Hurricanes generate anything near the same interest as has NCSU, then all will be well and very good in the RBC.

puckin_A

12-17-2003, 10:18 PM

[quote=puckin_A]you guys actually liked Coach Mo???? dang......I couldn't imagine the
things you would say if you hated him. Could of fooled me.

But I must say that I find the moral condescension a little un-attractive. This is sports. All of us need to stop taking things so damn personally, IMO.

but if we are talking about Jeff O'Neill it's different??? :p

And I'd like to point out that had none of us ever said a nice word about Mo and expressed our sorrow that a good man is jobless we'd have all been labeled horrible people who were rejoicing over a man losing his job.

nahhh, it's just business, remember?

It's a no win situation for some of us. But I refuse to apologize for my opinion that we are better off with a different coach.

I don't expect any apologies from anyone because they have an opinion.
That is for sure. I don't think anyone is looking for that. Not sure why
you brought it up.

SouthernHockeyChick

12-17-2003, 10:28 PM

but if we are talking about Jeff O'Neill it's different??? :p

If I wanted to get into a pissing contest I'd address that more specifically. Since I don't, I won't bother. I'll just clarify one thing. My point on Mo is no one ever said they hated him personally. My point on O'Neill is leave his personal life out of it. See the pattern? It's hockey....not As the World Turns. The way they play and the way they coach is all that is really up for debate for me.

puckin_A

12-17-2003, 10:34 PM

no no.....I was kidding with you (thus the face). You do get protective of Jeff just like I did of Mo. (was my point) Human nature.

peace

SouthernHockeyChick

12-17-2003, 10:40 PM

no no.....I was kidding with you (thus the face). You do get protective of Jeff just like I did of Mo. (was my point) Human nature.

peace

Yes, I do. I'm sorry I took you seriously. It's just been hard to tell around here sometimes lately. :)

puckin_A

12-17-2003, 10:48 PM

there has been alot of tension around here lately and now I hope we
can all get excited about something different happening!! As much as
I liked Coach Mo..........I know a change was needed ..period....and now
we have one. Hopefully it will bring us some wins. I know we will all
be happy with that in the end.

If Lavi can get the players to play that exciting hockey like the Islanders
played those two years.......now that will be cool.

ausoleil

12-18-2003, 01:30 PM

It's hockey....not As the World Turns

That would be "The Toronto Maple Leafs."

That team seems to thrive on turmoil, though I do have to say it has been quiet up there this season.

AbNormal27

12-18-2003, 03:46 PM

That would be "The Toronto Maple Leafs."

That team seems to thrive on turmoil, though I do have to say it has been quiet up there this season.

Why wouldn't it be, they're tied for first OVERALL.

Aaryn

PS: BELIEVE ME, I have heard enough about it to last a lifetime. :mad:

nccanes

12-28-2003, 09:32 AM

This letter was in today's Sports section. Nicely done.

Canes fan urges peers to turn out

If you are a true Carolina Hurricanes fan, you have to feel the loss of coach Paul Maurice like a family.

We have been through so much together. The struggles of a new game in town, then watching the arena start to fill up with fans during the beginning of the 2001- 2002 season (way before anyone could imagine how the season would end).

Then came that incredible Stanley Cup run. If you were a part of that as my family and I were, words just cannot describe it.

Then the heartbreak of last year, but, as true fans, we stayed with the Canes until the very end.

The start of the 2003 season, Jim Rutherford had made the moves to make the team better, owner Peter Karmanos approved the Danny Markov deal, and this season seemed as if it would be different. But we just could not crest the hill.

Still, in the true Carolina spirit, the organization stayed with its personnel until the time had come that doing something, for better or worse, was better than doing nothing. No one person is more important than the survival of the franchise. ... Sometimes there just needs to be a new message.

Coach Mo will always have a place in the hearts of True Hurricanes Fans. Who knows -- in the often-changing world of hockey coaches, he may yet win a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes.

It's time for us fans to start filling the RBC Center again. Don't wait to see how well the team will perform, just go and support them. Let's show the NHL what kind of fans we really are.

Brad Mann