Florida Panthers head coach has surprising take on this playoff tradition
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When the Florida Panther eliminated Carolina from the Stanley Cup playoffs, noticeably absent from the customary handshake line was Florida head coach Paul Maurice.
So was Canes' head coach Rod Brind'Amour. In fact, none of the coaches took to center ice to shake hands with the opposing players. Maurice and Brind'Amour were seen off to the side, instead, having an extended and animated conversation.
When ESPN's Greg Wyshynski questioned Maurice about his exchange with Brind'Amour, the Florida bench boss paused, and then replied:
"I don't believe that the coaches should shake players' hands at the end. There's this long list of people on the ice. They're all really important to our group, but not one of them was in the game."
Maurice's rationale is that only players should exchange handshakes, that if you didn't play, you shouldn't participate. Yet, the Florida coach then added an aesthetic-component to his argument.
"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 the end of one season. It's excitement for the other. 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."
Well, it kind of has a negative connotation, in my opinion. I would ask Paul Maurice if the argument should extend to championship rings for those same coaches, as well. Do they deserve one, is my point, since they didn't play, block shots, or fight. Just food for thought.
Paul Maurice, however, has been consistent with the 'non-practice'. He convinced Leafs coach Craig Berube to do-away with the handshake also. Both Berube and Brind'Amour are ex-players and are perhaps more willing to appease the Florida coach's request to not shake hands.
Or they were just being polite, and not overly enthusiastic with engaging the opposing coach as to the finer points of Maurice's beliefs. Both Rod and Craig had just lost an important series, after all.
Well, it kind of has a negative connotation, in my opinion. I would ask Paul Maurice if the argument should extend to championship rings for those same coaches, as well. Do they deserve one, is my point, since they didn't play, block shots, or fight. Just food for thought.
Paul Maurice, however, has been consistent with the 'non-practice'. He convinced Leafs coach Craig Berube to do-away with the handshake also. Both Berube and Brind'Amour are ex-players and are perhaps more willing to appease the Florida coach's request to not shake hands.
Or they were just being polite, and not overly enthusiastic with engaging the opposing coach as to the finer points of Maurice's beliefs. Both Rod and Craig had just lost an important series, after all.
"So I appreciate the risk that [Brind'Amour] took because he's concerned that somebody here (in the media) is going to be upset that he didn't shake our players' hands. I asked him not to. And he understood it. So that's what happened."
| POLL | ||
MAI 29 | 11 ANSWERS Florida Panthers head coach has surprising take on this playoff tradition DO you think only players should participate in the handshake practice at end of a playoff series? | ||
| Yes | 6 | 54.5 % |
| No | 5 | 45.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
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