By Sean Fitz-Gerald (The Athletic)

On an overcast afternoon in Vancouver, in a rare opening between responsibilities as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, Paul Maurice cracked open an old book. It was a thriller, published 42 years ago, and it featured an assassin, a corporate oligopoly and the pursuit of deep, spiritual understanding.

“Not getting too wound up in earthly possessions, and finding a life in sometimes difficult situations,” Maurice said. “It’s intriguing.”

It was not the first time he had read the book. The 54-year-old was raised by educators, with his father serving as an elementary school principal and his mother working as a teacher. One of his brothers is a general surgeon, and the other is an engineer.

His wife, Michelle, was a high school teacher in Windsor, Ont., which is where Maurice played junior hockey with the Spitfires, and also where he began his decades-long pursuit of a business degree from the University of Windsor. (All three of their children have pursued post-secondary education.)

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