Hurricanes give Maurice 3-year deal

RALEIGH, N.C., June 16 (UPI) -- Paul Maurice has signed a three-year deal to coach the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced Monday.

Terms were not released.

The team also said Ron Francis will return as associate head coach and become director of player personnel. Tom Barrasso will move up from goaltending coach to assistant coach.

"Keeping the coaching staff intact and better defining each coach's role was an important off-season task," said Jim Rutherford, team president and general manager. "The team showed tremendous improvement in the second half of last season under the guidance of Paul and Ron. Their delegation of responsibilities to the other coaches created good chemistry in the coaches' office and helped lead to success on the ice."

Maurice, 41, returned this past season for a second try at coach. In the final 57 games, Carolina went 33-19-5 and made the Eastern Conference finals.

He was the first head coach for the Hurricanes after the team moved from Hartford, where he had been head coach of the Whalers in 1995-96. Maurice was fired 30 games into the 2003-04 season and then coached for two seasons with Toronto before returning to Carolina.