Oilers coach Knoblauch reveals Panthers coach Maurice declined to hire him
To add a small personal grudge to the upcoming Stanley Cup Final matchup, Oilers coach Knoblauch revealed today that the Panthers coach Paul Maurice once declined to hire him.
Knoblauch said he interviewed for an assistant job in Winnipeg with Maurice. Didn't get the job but Maurice offered to mentor him anytime he needed advice. Said he took him up on it a few times over the years.
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Knoblauch explained that while Maurice was the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, he interviewed for an assistant coaching job, but ultimately didn't earn a place on his staff. Still, the two seemed to develop a close relationship, as Knoblauch also said he's leaned on Maurice for advice in the past.
Maurice was the coach of the Winnipeg Jets for an extremely long tenure, from 2014-2021. Things ended somewhat contentiously when Maurice announced that he would be resigning from his role, saying that the team needed a new voice. Now with the Panthers, Maurice is proving himself to be one of the best current coaches in the game with two Cup Final appearances. Maurice coached his first game in the NHL at just 28 years old, and is now one of three coaches to coach over 1800 games.
Maurice is a seasoned veteran, a former coaching prodigy who has just now seemed to figure it all out with a good enough roster to warrant back-to-back Final appearances. On the Oilers end, Knoblauch himself is rookie prodigy, completely turning around the Oilers into a super team since his arrival. With this personal angle to their relationship, it'll be interesting to watch how they differ in their approach to this series, and if any shots are taken in their post game comments.
| POLL | ||
Do you think there's a coaching rivalry between Knoblauch and Maurice for this? | ||
| Yes, there's definitely an angle | 77 | 29.8 % |
| No, if anything they're friends | 94 | 36.4 % |
| There will be when the series starts | 68 | 26.4 % |
| Maurice is a clown for not hiring Knoblauch | 19 | 7.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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