Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice talks to players during the third period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Denver.
NHL fines Panthers' Maurice $25K for criticizing officials
The NHL has fined Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice $25,000 for criticizing the officiating in his team's game at the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice talks to players during the third period of the team’s NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Denver.
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice was fined $25,000 by the NHL on Thursday for criticizing the officiating in his team’s game at the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this week.
Maurice said he didn’t know what referees Francois St-Laurent and Pierre Lambert were doing other than it was not friendly toward his team. He called out St-Laurent in particular in his postgame comments following Florida’s 5-4 overtime loss Tuesday.
“I just explained to them that it had nothing to do with my players,” Maurice told reporters in Toronto. “It had to do with me and a relationship that I have with one of the referees. That’s what that was all about.”
Maurice was fined $5,000 in 2016 when coaching the Winnipeg Jets for criticizing St-Laurent, who did not call a penalty on a hit to the head of center Bryan Little.
Maurice lamented the schedule his team faced with tough travel and said of St-Laurent and Lambert the league then “threw those two guys at us.”
The Panthers were whistled for 10 penalties to the Maple Leafs’ six. They spent nearly 10 minutes on seven different penalty kills and allowed two power-play goals as part of blowing a 4-2 lead.
Maurice said it was “hard to describe” some of the penalties, particularly a roughing call on defenseman Radko Gudas late in the second period.
“There’ll always be penalties that you take in a game you earn,” Maurice said. “There’s a whole bunch you’re not going to like at all. I thought we had the inordinate share of those.”
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
Post a comment as anonymous
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.