Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind`Amour stated he will revert to participating in the traditional post-series handshake line between teams. This follows a discussion with Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who had convinced Brind`Amour that coaches should not join the handshake line after their Eastern Conference Final matchup.
Maurice believes the long-standing hockey tradition should exclusively involve the players and maintain focus on them. This difference of opinion resulted in an animated exchange between the two coaches on the ice after Florida`s decisive Game 5 win in Carolina, which propelled the defending champion Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final for a rematch with Edmonton.
During his season-ending press conference alongside general manager Eric Tulsky, Brind`Amour admitted he was surprised by Maurice`s position but ultimately understood his reasoning that the tradition centers on the players.
“So I get his point, that it is about the players,” Brind`Amour said Tuesday.
Nevertheless, Brind`Amour emphasized his personal view that the handshake line represents a crucial sign of respect. He feels that even though coaches aren`t on the ice battling, they are intimately involved with their teams. While acknowledging that participation is a personal decision, Brind`Amour explained that he followed Maurice`s lead in the recent series because Maurice`s team won. However, he stressed that demonstrating respect for the players remains important to him moving forward.
