‘Getting fired out of Canada is tough’: Maurice

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This article was published 24/02/2021 (1655 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At the beginning of what was going to be a much different-looking NHL season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul Maurice joked about how the intensity of the all-Canadian division might result in a number of coaches getting their walking papers.

On Wednesday, the first shoe had finally dropped, with the Montreal Canadiens firing Claude Julien just as they were getting ready to play the Jets. In a much different mood than months before, Maurice offered a few words of encouragement for his fellow colleague.

“I know him through the hockey world, kind of admired his work. And I think Claude… works as long as he wants to. I really do. I do think getting fired out of Canada is tough,” Maurice said. “But in the coaching fraternity, in the group of people that you talk to, he would be exceptionally well-respected because of his detail and his ability to get his teams to play to an identity and to understand that identity. He’s elite in that department.”

The Canadiens replaced Julien with assistant coach Dominique Ducharme, who has been given an interim title for the time being. Kirk Muller was also fired, replaced with Alex Burrows, who has been with the AHL’s Laval Rockets the past three seasons.

Ducharme coached Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers for two seasons while with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was asked how Ducharme’s approach to the game, how he’s able to mix his kind-hearted soul with a fiery edge.

“You want your coach to be talking to you and all that; you also want your coach to be yelling at you if you’re not playing the way you should. That’s how I experienced him in Halifax and it helped me a lot,” Ehlers said. “He’s a great coach. Him being from Montreal, it’s got to be pretty special for him right now. I’m really happy for him. He’s a great guy and he deserves this chance for sure.”

POOLMAN OUT, NIKU IN: Maurice ruled out Tucker Poolman (upper-body) from tonight’s game against the Canadiens.

With Poolman out, Sami Niku returns to the lineup for just the fourth time this season and first time since Jan. 19. The 24-year-old has one shot, six penalty minutes and is a minus-2 in two games this year.

“Some of it will be roster availability,” Maurice said. “We’ll see where Tucker’s at (today), and then we’ll decide if we think it’s going to be longer than one game whether he’d be available to go on the IR. Those things will play into the decision.”

With Nate Thompson, Jansen Harkins and Pierre-Luc Dubois all returning from injury and on the 23-man active roster, and Poolman also occupying a spot for now, the Jets have few options other than to look to Niku. If they wanted to play Logan Stanley, who is currently on the taxi squad, they’d be required to open up a roster spot by either placing a player on IR, or sending Niku to the taxi squad, which would result in a risk in losing him as he would have to clear waivers first.

Niku is set to play with Dylan DeMelo on the team’s third pairing, meaning Nathan Beaulieu gets a promotion to the top pairing with Josh Morrissey. Maurice was asked why DeMelo, who has played lots with Morrissey in the past, wasn’t chosen instead.

“I don’t feel that opportunity has been as easy to find, as you would think. DeMelo missed the first part of the season, so we didn’t have it there. And then I thought we started playing better in the pairings that we had, so I didn’t go back to it,” Maurice said. “There wasn’t a tell there, that we didn’t like (the pairing). We may roll into that (Thursday), depending on what happens with Tucker.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

twitter: @jeffkhamilton