Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind`Amour stated Tuesday that he intends to return to participating in the customary post-series handshake line going forward. His decision follows his absence from the line after the Eastern Conference Final loss to the Florida Panthers last week, a choice made at the request of Panthers coach Paul Maurice. Brind`Amour indicated that while Maurice`s request was unexpected, he respected the reasoning behind it, even if his own view wasn`t entirely the same.
“It`s undoubtedly about the players. Of course it is,” Brind`Amour said. “Those guys are the ones that are battling out there and we coaches are just sitting back there. Not along for the ride. We invested a ton into it. So I get his point. It is about the players. I guess my take on it now, sitting back on it, reflection, we talk about graciously losing and I`ve had some pretty impactful memories and moments in that line as a coach going through it.”
Brind`Amour emphasized that the handshake line maintains personal significance for him, citing Carolina`s first-round victory over New Jersey as an example, a series where several former Hurricanes players were part of the Devils` roster.
“I think moving forward, I`ll probably go back to it just because it`s a sign of respect,” Brind`Amour commented. “That`s the way I look at it. We`re not out there on the ice battling, but we`re right in there with these guys. So that`s my take. I think you`re entitled to whatever one you want. He won, so I kind of went, `Okay, I`m gonna follow your lead.` But I do think it`s important, to me anyway, to show respect to the players.”
Paul Maurice explained his perspective after the series-clinching win that sent the reigning Stanley Cup champion Panthers back to the Final. He expressed his wish for the moment to be solely focused on the players. A brief interaction between the two coaches near the benches on the ice garnered attention, appearing to be a spirited yet respectful conversation regarding the decision.
“There`s something for me visually, with the camera on of just the men who played, blocked shots, who fought for each other, it`s end of one`s season, it`s excitement for the other,” Maurice said. “The last thing that a player on the Carolina Hurricanes deserves is 50 more guys in suits. They have no idea who they are, and that`s not a negative. There`s something really kind of beautiful about just the camera on those men who played shaking hands. And we should respect that.”
Florida is set to face the Edmonton Oilers in a rematch for the Stanley Cup Final, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday.
