After the Panthers beat the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final, Maurice and Brind’Amour appeared to exchange words when shaking hands in the line for coaches. We later learned the two were discussing Maurice’s request for the coaches not to be in the main handshake line with the players, preferring for the players to be alone for that tradition.
Brind’Amour agreed to go along with Maurice’s request, though he didn’t appear to agree.
In the Hurricanes’ post-season media availability on Tuesday, Brind’Amour gave his take on what transpired.
“I understood his point of view. He explained it to me,” Brind’Amour said. “I wasn’t expecting it, but I understood what he said. It is the players, of course it is. Those guys are the ones battling out there. We’re just sitting back there. Not along for the ride, we invested a ton into it. I get his point. It is about the players.
“My take on it now, sitting back on it in reflection, you talk about gracious losing. I’ve had some pretty impactful memories and moments in that line as a coach going through. Even in the (first) playoff round with the Devils, I had four or five guys who were Hurricanes. I still think of them (as Hurricanes). It meant something for me to go through there and shake their hand.
“For me, I’m not thinking about a TV moment. I get enough of that. Every time there’s a penalty, (the camera is) on my face. … I think moving forward I’ll probably go back to it just because it’s a sign of respect. That’s the way I look at it. We’re not out there on the ice battling, we’re right in there with these guys. That’s my take. You’re entitled to whatever one you want. He won, so I kind of went ‘OK, I’m going to follow your lead and that.’ But I do think it’s important to me anyway to show respect to the players.”
After the Panthers’ series-ending win, Maurice thanked Brind’Amour for accepting his request.
“There’s something for me visually, with the camera on just the men who played, blocked shots, fought for each other, it’s the 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.”