Despite all the haters out there, Paul Maurice is an All-Star. While we would love to see Maurice suit up and play some hockey, he’s joining the All-Star festivities as the coach for the Central Division. While this might come as a surprise given the Jets weak play as of late, that fact remains that the Jets are the top of the Central Division and Maurice is well respected among the coaching community.

Maurice qualifies for this distinction, not because he was voted by any committee, but rather because the Jets are first in the division. Under the All-Star selection process, the team with the highest points percentage in each division will send their coach to the All-Star festivities.

Even though Maurice was in by default, he has a strong coaching resume. With nearly 1500 games coached, he is the seventh most experienced coach in NHL history. His record isn’t as impressive as he carries the lowest points percentage of anyone in the top 20 most experienced coaches. This could definitely be attributed to a few bad teams rather than his coaching ability as he has coached 674 victories over 21 seasons. Plus with the Jets being near the top of the league, his points percentage will be climbing over the next few seasons.

One of the best parts of Paul Maurice is his sense of humour and personality. Never one to shy away from questions, he answered candidly when asked about his role in the All-Star game.

If you are wondering if Maurice has ever been to an All-Star game before given his lengthy coaching history, the answer is yes. He was an assistant coach at the 1997 All-Star game while he was a part of the Whalers organization.

This was Maurice’s second year as a coach and it’s safe to say that he’s come a long way since then. For now, enjoy watching Maurice behind the benches during the All-Star weekend, just expect a few less expletives.