‘Silliness’: Maurice dismisses idea of coaching Team Finland

Again-to-back Stanley Cup champion coach Paul Maurice apparently wasn’t actually within the operating to compete for a gold medal on the Olympics.

After it was reported earlier within the Video games {that a} participant consultant requested the Finnish nationwide workforce’s normal supervisor to rent Maurice for the head-coaching job, the Florida Panthers bench boss dismissed the idea Saturday

“Yeah, I received a bunch of texts. Silliness,” Maurice advised reporters. “I feel any individual received confused with Tuomo Ruutu. There was a Panther coach on the bench, it simply wasn’t me.”

Ruutu, a Finnish former participant, is included on Maurice’s Panthers employees, and is one of Finland’s assistant coaches on the Olympics.

Maurice additionally coaches Finnish nationwide gamers Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell and Niko Mikkola. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov additionally would have been on the Finnish workforce if he wasn’t injured.

Regardless of the chance to compete for an Olympic medal, Maurice mentioned he would not be excited about coaching Team Finland.

“They’ve too many good coaches over in Finland, they do not want me,” Maurice mentioned. “(He is) born in Canada, I am a U.S. citizen. I feel I will keep in Fort Lauderdale for these tournaments. Labored out simply wonderful.”