Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice made NHL history on Tuesday, becoming just the second person to coach 2,000 career regular-season games.
By reaching this mark, Maurice joins legendary Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman as the only two individuals to stand behind an NHL bench for 2,000 regular-season contests.
Incredible accomplishment for Paul Maurice to hit 2,000 games coached.#Sabrehood Lindy Ruff next with 1,927 - and in final year of his contract. #FlyTogether Joel Quenneville behind him with 1,839 - he'd need 2+ seasons.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 25, 2026
As @BrienRea mused... will anyone else ever get there?
Maurice’s journey began on November 7, 1995, when he debuted as the head coach of the Hartford Whalers at just 28 years old, making him the youngest coach to reach nearly every major games-coached milestone in league history. He has coached five different teams, and he has earned two Stanley Cup championships during his time in Florida.
“This has been an incredible experience,” Maurice told Panthers team reporter Jameson Olive ahead of the game. “I do have a pretty good spectrum of emotions in my career: tensions, pressures, darkness, light, extreme sadness, incredible joy. I do get flashes of it when you allow yourself to.”
The Panthers honored Maurice with a tribute video during the first period, featuring messages from former players and colleagues across the league.