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.
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