Brind'Amour plans return to handshake lines after coaches sat out in East Final

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour plans to return to the handshake line between teams at the conclusion of a playoff series, coming after Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice convinced Brind’Amour the coaches should sit out after their Eastern Conference final series.

Maurice has said he believes long-running hockey tradition should be solely between and keeping focus on the players. That led to an animated discussion between Maurice and Brind’Amour as players went through the on-ice line after Florida’s clinching Game 5 win at Carolina last Wednesday, which sent the reigning champion Panthers back to the Stanley Cup Final for a rematch with Edmonton.

Speaking at his end-of-season news conference with general manager Eric Tulsky, Brind’Amour said he “wasn’t expecting” Maurice’s position “but I understood his point of view” after an explanation.

“So I get his point, that it is about the players,” Brind'Amour said Tuesday.

“Moving forward, I think I’ll probably go back to it just because it’s a sign of respect – that’s the way I look at it,” Brind’Amour added later. “We’re not out there on the ice battling, but we’re right in there with these guys. So that that’s my take. I think you’re entitled to whatever one you want. He won, so I kind of went, ‘OK, I’m going to follow your lead in that.’ But I do think it’s important, to me anyway, to show respect to the players.”

Brind’Amour pointed to the Hurricanes’ first-round win against New Jersey, which featured former Carolina players like Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton and Stefan Noesen. Notably, when Brind’Amour reached Pesce — who rose from Carolina draft pick to play nine seasons with the Hurricanes reaching back to Brind’Amour’s time as an assistant coach -- the two had a hearty hug and amiable chat.

“I’ve had some pretty impactful memories and moments in that line as a coach going through,” Brind’Amour said, adding of players he formerly coached: “So it meant something to me to go through there and shake their hand.”

Maurice had said he wasn't sure when coaches joined the post-series handshake line and wondered if it was someone looking to get more TV time. Brind'Amour shrugged that off with an inadvertent quip and nod to his often-animated reaction to officiating calls.

“For me, I’m not thinking about a TV moment,” Brind'Amour said. “I get enough of that every time there’s a penalty.”

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