Playing Career
Maurice was the Philadelphia Flyers' 12th choice, 252nd overall, in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, five spots after former Maple Leafs Vice-President and General Manager John Ferguson, Jr. was taken by the Montreal Canadiens.
In 1985, Paul played defense for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. He was struck in the eye by a puck, which had ricocheted off his stick, during a charity hockey game in which he was participating. He still has a blind spot and suffers fuzziness on the right side of his field of vision. When goalie Pat Jablonski was sent down by the St. Louis Blues, the Windsor Spitfires were therefore in excess number of players. At this point he was given the option by team owner Peter Karmanos to be traded or step behind the bench. He thus began his coaching career with the Detroit Junior Red Wings (a team Karmanos operated) of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1993 to 1995, leading the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup and a second place finish in Memorial Cup in 1995.
Read more about this topic: Paul Maurice
Famous quotes containing the words playing and/or career:
“All those who dwell in the depths find their happiness in being like flying fish for once and playing on the uppermost crests of the waves. What they value most in things is that they have a surface, their “epidermality”Msit venia verbo.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“I seemed intent on making it as difficult for myself as possible to pursue my “male” career goal. I not only procrastinated endlessly, submitting my medical school application at the very last minute, but continued to crave a conventional female role even as I moved ahead with my “male” pursuits.”
—Margaret S. Mahler (1897–1985)