Every current NHL franchise’s most beloved head coach
Winnipeg Jets: Paul Maurice
The Winnipeg Jets are still looking to break through for their first real success in franchise history. But times have never looked brighter for the Jets, and you can thank Paul Maurice for that.
Going into this season, the Winnipeg Jets has never won a playoff game since being the expansion Atlanta Thrashers before they were re relocated to Winnipeg. The Jets moved out of Winnipeg to Arizona in 1996 to take advantage of a stable American dollar and a sudden population boom in Phoenix. The loyal fans of Winnipeg were left high and dry, but they got their team back in 2011 when the Thrashers were moved to Winnipeg.
Since moving back to Winnipeg, the Jets have had only two coaches. There was Claude Noel who remained until the 2014 season, but Maurice took over during the midway point of the 2014 season and finished the season with a winning record but couldn’t sneak them into the postseason.
The next season was a different story, and the Jets made the playoffs for the first time since moving back to Winnipeg and second time since becoming the Thrashers. The Jets were rewarded with facing the Stanley Cup favorite Anaheim Ducks in the first round. Though they were able to test the Ducks on multiple occassions, they were unable to steal a game and were swept.
After missing the playoffs the next season, the Jets put it all together and became a powerhouse in the league. They finished second in the entire NHL with 114 points and ran through the Minnesota Wild in the first round in five games.
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Winnipeg is currently locked in a tight battle with the Nashville Predators.