Paul Maurice resigns, Dave Lowry named interim head coach

In a shocking development, coach Paul Maurice has resigned from his position as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Friday morning.

With Maurice stepping down, the Jets have announced that assistant coach Dave Lowry will take over and serve as the club’s interim head coach. No timeline for how long his interim status will remain has been revealed at this time.

Maurice, 54, joined the organization back in 2014 and was the second-longest tenured head coach in the National Hockey League, second to just Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his 600 games with the Jets, the Ontario native earned a 315-223-62 record.

Over his eight and a half seasons in Winnipeg, Maurice coached this franchise to four playoff appearances, including their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2018.

Lowry, 56, joined the Jets organization as an assistant coach last season. This will be his first head coaching job of any kind in the NHL.

In the Western Hockey League, Lowry spent time as a head coach for the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2019-20, the Victoria Royals from 2012-2017 and the Calgary Hitmen in 2008-09.

Lowry’s first game as Winnipeg’s interim head coach will come Friday when they host the Washington Capitals at Canada Life Centre, scheduled for 7:00 pm CT.