Despite the fact that the Panthers are facing off vs. the Oilers tonight in the Stanley Cup finals, Paul Maurice sent an emotional message to Jets and Canucks fans. Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice shared some honest words about his former team, the Winnipeg Jets, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl/stanley-cup/oilers-make-official-lineup-moves-ahead-of-game-1-involving-connor-brown' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>prior to Game 1 of the Cup Final</a>. During a media availability on Wednesday, Maurice was asked about what it would take for the Jets to be a champion. With a touch of humor and a dose of seriousness, he replied honestly, and with a hint of optimism. Yeah, getting rid of your last coach was the right thing to do, Maurice said. Won the Presidents Trophy. Now my cheer for the team hasn't done much good, it seems, but they've just got their right story in Winnipeg for the National Hockey League, Maurice said. <h3>On top of cheering for the Jets, Maurice also cheers for the Canucks and Stars</h3> Maurice also stated that he cheers for the Canucks and the Stars as the only other two teams, on top of Winnipeg, which he hopes do well. I cheer for three teams, basically, cheer for the Vancouver classic because of Jim Rutherford, Maurice added. Cheer for the Winnipeg Jets, because of ... Winnipeg and I was cheering for the Dallas Stars, for Peter DeBoer. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/tsn_sports/status/1930302514731085875'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Maurice quit as Winnipeg's head coach in December of 2021 following nearly eight years as the team's bench boss. The Jets have carried on under Dave Lowry and then Rick Bowness, before Scott Arniel most recently took charge of the reins. The <a href='https://www.nhl.com/standings/2025-04-17/wildcard' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Jets finished the most recent season with the league's best record</a> (56-22-4) and took home the Presidents' Trophy. Despite coaching elsewhere, Maurice claims to have Jets allegiance and rooted for them during the playoffs. He cited Mark Scheifele, who skated on following the loss of his father, as a prime representative of team commitment and culture. And what's right about the game. Saw it in the connection with what Mark Scheifele did to play in that game, the connection to his brothers, but that's not just a one-off, that starts at the top of that organization. Maurice guided the Jets from 2014 through 2021 and led them to the playoffs for the first time since moving from Atlanta and into the Western Conference final in 2018. But following a rocky start to the 2021 season, he quit, indicating that the team needed a new voice. With Florida ready for a Cup, it is clear that Maurice still holds a strong affection for the team and city in which he grew up.