Following the Florida Panthers` victory over the Carolina Hurricanes to secure the Eastern Conference Final series, the traditional handshake line conspicuously lacked coaches. Instead of joining the long line of players, Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Hurricanes coach Rod Brind`Amour had a brief, separate interaction on the ice. Maurice later clarified that this was a deliberate choice, not a sign of disrespect.
“It`s a personal stance, and I truly value Rod`s understanding because it involves some potential misinterpretation,” Maurice stated after the game. He believes coaches should not participate in the post-game player handshakes. Maurice pointed out the large number of staff members and personnel often present on the ice after a game, noting, “We had potentially hundreds of people on the ice. They`re all important to our team, but none of them were actually competing in the game.”
The Panthers came back from a 2-0 deficit in Game 5 to defeat the Hurricanes 5-3, advancing to their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. As players began forming the handshake line, Maurice and Brind`Amour met near the benches for a quick yet animated discussion, agreeing that the moment should be reserved solely for the athletes who played.
Maurice explained his perspective: “For me, there`s something visually pure about the camera focusing just on the men who played, who blocked shots, who fought for each other. It`s the end of one team`s season and pure excitement for the other. The last thing a player on the Carolina Hurricanes needs is to shake hands with dozens more people in suits they likely don`t know – and that`s not a criticism of those people.” He added, “There`s a beautiful aspect to seeing only the competing players shaking hands, and I believe we should respect that distinction.”
He also mentioned having a similar conversation earlier in May with Toronto coach Craig Berube after their second-round series. Maurice noted that both Berube and Brind`Amour, having been players themselves, readily understood and agreed with his reasoning.
“I`m not sure when it changed,” Maurice reflected. “When I first entered the league, coaches would never typically shake the players` hands. I suspect maybe some coaches wanted camera time, or perhaps wanted to shake hands with star players like Wayne Gretzky. I don`t know the exact point it shifted, but I don`t think it`s the right approach.” He concluded by emphasizing the unique respect shown in the players` handshake line: “When you consider the intense, competitive battles on the ice, players going hard against each other, and then they shake hands like that – it`s truly special. They aren`t exactly exchanging Christmas cards out there; it`s fierce competition. There`s something profoundly special about that specific moment.”
