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Panthers affiliate Everblades wins back-to-back ECHL titles. Paul Maurice has personal connection

Jordan McPherson
·2 min read
David Santiago/dsantiago@miamiherald.com

The Florida Everblades, the Florida Panthers’ ECHL affiliate, won its second consecutive Kelly Cup on Friday with a 4-3 win over the Idaho Steelheads to a complete a series sweep.

It’s an accomplishment that has a personal touch for Panthers coach Paul Maurice.

Maurice’s son, Jake, is the away play-by-play announcer for the Everblades, and the win means son won a championship before dad did, although Maurice’s Panthers are still in the running for the Stanley Cup. The Panthers are down 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights heading into Game 4 of the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday.

“God, he’s going to be tough to deal with,” Maurice said Saturday before letting out a quick laugh. “We’ve got to win this.”

In all seriousness, Maurice spent about 2 and a half minutes during his pre-Game 4 availability speaking with pride about his son and his success.

“I’m just a dad,” Maurice said. “It’s been a wonderful experience for him.”

According to Maurice, Jake started getting interested in broadcasting when he was about 14 or 15 — “He’d watch the games,” Maurice said, “but he’d listen to them” — and then got an opportunity to be the broadcaster for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s Winnipeg Blues. He spent three seasons there before getting the job with the Everblades.

“He fell in love with it,” Maurice said. “It’s the truth, and it’s impactful because it’s part of the reason why I take my time with you people when I answer questions because I got an understanding of what it’s like to have somebody in the room who’s a member of the media. I would be sour at some junior coach that gave him a hard time because he didn’t like the question because he’d just lost the game. I’m mindful. It has changed the way I approach what I do with all of you because I get it. I get a better appreciation for what it’s like to maybe not be on the bench but still be part of the team, to feel like you’re part of the team. It’s what he wants to do for a living.”