The Carolina Hurricanes’ handshake line drama has taken an unexpected turn, with coach Rod Brind’Amour saying he’ll return to the traditional post-series ritual in the future.
It all started when Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice asked Brind’Amour to skip the handshake line after the Panthers knocked the Hurricanes out of the playoffs last week.
“It is the players. Of course it is,” Brind’Amour said Tuesday, reflecting on Maurice’s request. “Those guys are the ones battling out there while we’re just sitting back there.”
But he wasn’t totally convinced.
The handshake line holds special meaning for Brind’Amour, who remembers powerful moments both as a player and coach. Just this year, during Carolina’s first-round win over New Jersey, he got to share that moment with several former Hurricanes now playing for the Devils.
“I think moving forward, I’ll probably go back to it just because it’s a sign of respect,” he said. “We’re not out there on the ice battling, but we’re right in there with these guys.”
TV cameras caught what looked like an intense but respectful conversation between the two coaches near the benches when Maurice made his request.
Maurice, whose Panthers are heading back to the Stanley Cup Final, explained his thinking after the game. He wanted the spotlight solely on the players who’d given everything on the ice.
“There’s something really beautiful about just the camera on those men who played shaking hands,” Maurice said. “The last thing a Carolina Hurricanes player deserves is 50 more guys in suits. They have no idea who they are.”
The Panthers will face the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.
