Paul Maurice resigned as coach of the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.
Maurice was in his ninth season with Winnipeg. The 54-year-old was 315-223-62 in 600 games, including 13-10-5 this season.
“They need a new voice,” Maurice said. “They need somebody to help them get to that next place. … It’s the right time for it, and I know that.
“I’m so attached to this group, and I know they need sometthing new.”
When asked what it was they needed, Maurice joked, “”You know what? That’s not my job anymore.”
Dave Lowry, who was one of Maurice’s assistants, will coach the Jets against the Washington Capitals on Friday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, NBCSWA, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
Maurice is sixth in NHL history with 775 wins and fourth in games coached with 1,684, behind Scotty Bowman (2,141), Joel Quenneville (1,768) and Barry Trotz (1,755).
The Jets qualified for the postseason the past four seasons, including reaching the Western Conference Final in 2018. Last season they lost to the Montreal Canadiens in four games in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Second Round.
“There is a shelf life for what we do. The only way that shelf life gets extended is if you can win championships,” Maurice said. “You need to win.”
In 24 seasons with the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs and Jets, he is 775-680-130 with 99 ties, and 41-51 in 92 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He coached the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in five games to the Detroit Red Wings.
Maurice, at 28 years old, became the second-youngest coach in NHL history when he replaced Paul Holmgren as coach of the Hartford Whalers on Nov. 7, 1995. He was fired Dec. 14, 2003, 30 games into his ninth season.
He coached the Maple Leafs for two seasons (2006-08) before returning to the Hurricanes, replacing Peter Laviolette on Dec. 3, 2008.
The Hurricanes missed the playoffs in his first three seasons, and he was fired Nov. 28, 2011, 25 games into his fourth season.
He was hired by the Jets on Jan. 12, 2014, replacing Claude Noel.
“I love these guys. I love this place. I know that it’s time,” Maurice said. “And that’s a good thing for the Jets. It’s also a really, really good thing for me.”
In addition to his NHL success, Maurice also won an Ontario Hockey League championship with the Detroit Junior Red Wings in 1994-95, and was an assistant to Ralph Kruger on Team Europe, which finished second at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Maurice said he’s not sure if we will coach again.
“The only way I would step back again is if I felt like I’d be even better than I was before, and that’s not today,” Maurice said.
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