Stanley Cup champion joins me now. And Paul, you waited your whole life to be called that. What’s four more games, right? And as we were waiting to visit with you, I saw you lean back, your eyes close, and I. As best as you can, how do you make this moment make sense? How do you articulate the feelings within?
Not well, I’m usually not lost for words. But there’s this incredible sense of connection to all the people, even though they’re not here, my mom and dad, my brothers, the whole family that you need to support you over time. And I kind of beg them to support me for 30 years before we can share some joy with them. And that’s what this all thing feels like at this point, right? Just that connection here. Every player that comes over, you have this incredible connection with the coaches that you share those moments would. But you’re right, like the wives and the children and the people that get moved from town to town so you can follow this silly dream and chase that trophy. And it’s nice to be able to catch up to it every once in a while.
The list of things I appreciate, Paul, about your, it’s lengthy, but just the way you articulate things, sometimes profane, that’s fine. I’m the same. But always thoughtful, always measured. And I felt that throughout this cup final as it went from 3 nothing to 3,1 to 3,2 to 3,3, I felt like you always projected calm. But those are long flights back and forth. And that’s a really talented club you’re trying to beat. When your mind wanders and you’re trying to figure out how do I put the boys in the right frame of mind for tonight? Where does the mind go with, there’s so much time to think about what’s happening.
What you want, you know, and somebody had asked me, do you enjoy the game? Like we lost Game 5 and I love that game cuz we play great. It is about the result. Obviously, you gotta win a Stanley Cup, but what you want is for your team to look a certain way. We have an identity, a thing that we all bond together around. So you get into that game tonight and you’re playing the first period, you’re going, okay, it’s done. Not that we’re gonna win, but this is as good as we can compete. We’re playing as well as we possibly can. So that’s where the mind goes, how do I get them back to that place that they can play with enough freedom so we have structure and we have discipline, all that. But what we needed to and what we were different most is that we played with some freedom, that we made plays, then we got, didn’t play the game not to make mistakes and certainly not to lose, but we tried to win the game.
You’re the best club in the sport in a third period all season long, and you’re carrying a 2,1 lead into the last 20 minutes and it’s 20 minutes to be a forever team right? I is there something that yeah, that needs to be said or at that point is it just that your hands door off the wheel and you let it go?
Yeah, the hands came off the wheel about February. So that was done. The, and we’re creating out of control at the time, but bounding, we get into about. Yes, exactly. So there’s six minutes left to go in the second period. You know, we, Sam Ryna scored that goal and everybody is standing on the bench starting to lose their minds, right? And boys, we cannot stand for a period and a half freaking out every time somebody searches the block. So. Right. Just try to go in there, get him to breathe a little bit. We know what we do. And then we invented a new idea. We just iced the park 75 times in the third period. So that was it.
What brilliant strategy. Listen, I don’t know the first thing about coaching works, Paul, but look, they got 97, they got 28, they got . They got a boatload of guys that can put the puck in the net as best you can. I can’t imagine how long it takes for those 20 minutes to exhaust themselves. How do you, how are you processing those moments?
We talk about this from training camp on when there’s eight minutes left to go in the third period in the deciding game. If we’ve got this right, we’re saying I hope the clock slows down, not speeds up. What do you mean? To be present, to be in the moment. I don’t want that thing to go. I, I don’t want the game to end like that. I’m not wishing for this thing to be over so we can call ourselves Stanley Cup champions. I wanna live the moment that we’re in. I’m never very probably ever get in the Game 7 Stanley Cup Final ever in my life again. I don’t want it to speed up. I want it to slow.
Down. Love it. Be present. Be where your feet are, right? That’s what they say. And it goes the way you wanted to, Paul, so you don’t have to spend the rest of your life wondering what if. So I’m not gonna ask you what if. I’m gonna ask you instead. Now what? Now you’re Stanley Cup champion, your names on that thing forever and ever, no matter what happens from right now until the end of time, you’re that. You’re on. Yeah, you’re on the cup. How does that change your life?
I hope it doesn’t. I hope learning to live my life well enough. But the trophy doesn’t define how I treat the people around me. But I’m also gonna skate the hell out of these guys in training camp cuz I got cart launch now. I could do whatever the hell I want.
You sure can. And as a photo.
Camp coming up, boys.
Get it up. As just a final thought, Paul, we, we showed, we show that moment where you got your hands on it. And I don’t think we can quote you. That’s fine. But the feeling that goes through, right? You wait your whole life and then it’s in your midst and then what is you be, you’re, you wanna be present in that second right there. What’s that first.
Part of that? The FIR. Well, I said some unkind things to the Stanley Cup cuz I had to chase it for so long. And then I closed my eyes and I wanted to feel it. I wasn’t gonna remember a lot of things, but I’ll never forget the weight of it and how it felt. And then I open my eyes and all the players were, we’re in front of me smiling. And that’s when the profanity came out. Cuz that line I use in that room all the time.
Paul, I wanna let you get to that room and celebrate with your folks. You’re really kind. I, I, you know, you don’t root for anybody in this business, right? You don’t root for outcomes. But I’m thrilled for you that this journey led you to this moment cuz you earned it and you deserve it. I appreciate your time. And I, Paul.
Thank you very much. And I.
Thank you. Yeah. Paul Maurice, Stanley Cup champion. That’s awesome.