Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice opted not to participate in the traditional handshake line with the Carolina Hurricanes after the Eastern Conference Final concluded. Furthermore, he requested his counterpart from Carolina, Rod Brind`Amour, do the same towards the Panthers players.
This move was not an act of disrespect; rather, it was motivated by completely different reasons.
The handshake line at the end of a playoff series is one of hockey`s sacred traditions, symbolizing respect after intense competition. Maurice believes this tradition is important for fans and should be preserved.
However, throughout this entire postseason, he has repeatedly stated that he believes coaches should not be part of this ritual. After the Panthers eliminated the Hurricanes on Wednesday evening, he re-emphasized this position and even persuaded Brind`Amour to join him in stepping aside.
Maurice explained that at that moment, all the attention should be focused solely on the players from both teams who competed in the series.
“I don`t believe that the coaches should shake players` hands at the end,” Maurice said. “There`s a long list of people in suits and tracksuits. We had about 400 people on the ice. They are all very important to our group. But not one of them was in the game.”
Tristan Blackwood