Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice opted not to participate in the traditional handshake line with the Carolina Hurricanes following the Eastern Conference Final. He also requested that Hurricanes coach Rod Brind`Amour likewise refrain from shaking hands with the Panthers.
This decision was not born of disrespect; in fact, it was the opposite.
While the post-series handshake is a valued hockey custom, regardless of the physicality of the series before one team emerged victorious, Maurice believes coaches should not be part of it. He sees the tradition as something that enhances the game for fans and fully supports its existence.
He has expressed this view consistently during the playoffs, stating after Florida defeated Carolina on Wednesday night that he even persuaded Brind`Amour to skip the line himself. Maurice feels that in that specific moment, the focus should remain solely on the players who competed in the series.
“I don`t think coaches should shake hands with players at the end,” Maurice explained. “There are so many people in suits and tracksuits. We had something like 400 people on the ice. They`re all vital to our organization, but none of them were playing in the game.”
