Paul Maurice was part of a curious moment during Game 5 of the 2025 NHL Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Florida Panthers head coach, like Rod Brind’Amour, skipped the traditional postgame handshake line following a tense exchange.
The Panthers clinched their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance after a 5–3 comeback win over the Hurricanes, having rallied from a 2–0 deficit in the first period. As the players lined up on the ice to shake hands at the end of the game, Maurice and Brind’Amour met near the benches for a brief but animated conversation.
It was striking to see Maurice and Brind’Amour exchange words on the ice, a moment that at first glance appeared tense. The Panthers’ coach later clarified the interaction during his postgame media availability following the win over Carolina.
The exchange between Maurice and Brind’Amour
“It’s a personal belief, and I really appreciate what he did, because there’s a bit of a risk. I don’t believe that the coaches should shake players’ hands at the end. There’s this long list of people in suits and track suits. We had like 400 people on the ice. They’re all really important to our group. But not one of them was in the game,” Maurice clarified, according to CBS Sports.
“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. 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,” Maurice said.
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A necessary clarification
Maurice’s comments cleared up speculation about a verbal exchange between the two coaches. Apparently, it was something planned rather than a snub, as it might have seemed when watching the interaction. After a high-stakes game with emotions running high, the moment required an explanation.
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According to Maurice, what the two coaches discussed was an agreement to give the players a moment alone. In addition, the Panthers’ head coach mentioned that he had a similar conversation with Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube after their second-round series in early May.
