Nobody Respects The Crap Out Of Hockey Handshake Lines Quite Like Panthers' HC Paul Maurice
For the 3rd year in a row, the Florida Panthers will be representing the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final. The Carolina Hurricanes were able to muster up one win against Florida in the Conference Final, which is one more than anybody would have ever expected out of them. But after blowing a 2-0 lead in game 5, Rod Brind'Amour and the Hurricanes are heading home early again this year.
After the game, Rod Brind'Amour looked a little upset that Paul Maurice came over to shake his hand right outside of the benches. Everybody knows that Hockey Handshakes are the greatest tradition in sports, and usually those handshakes take place out at center ice.
Brind'Amour seemed a little upset that Paul Maurice and the Panthers' bench took that moment away from him. But it's not because Paul Maurice is some psychotic asshole who doesn't think that Rod Brind'Amour deserves to shake the hands of his players. It's because he doesn't think that any coach anywhere deserves to shake hands with the players.
This man loves and respects the hockey handshake line so much that he won't even take part in it. The man has guided his team to 3 straight Eastern Conference titles, and he feels unworthy to shake the hands of the players who went to battle on the ice.
Now there's also a chance that Paul Maurice is full of shit. There's always the possibility that he just doesn't want to shake the hands of his opponents. He's been around the game long enough to know he makes a big enough impact on these series to be a part of that handshake line. Maybe he's just grossed out at the thought of shaking those hands.
Have you ever smelled a pair of hockey gloves before? They reek. And sure, these guys are in the NHL so they have equipment managers who wash and air out all of their gear. It's not like they're leaving their gloves in the back of their moms car zipped inside their bag for a week. But still. All those sweaty hands have to smell awful by the end of one of those games. And once that smell latches itself onto you? It's not as simple as just washing your hands real quick. That smell gets trapped in your skin for at least a couple hours.
But something tells me that Paul Maurice would take a sniff of those hands, and write the most beautifully elegant soliloquy about the stench in his post-game press conference. The man has a way with words, for sure. So as much as I'm sure he doesn't mind not shaking 20+ sets of sweaty hands, I'm going to take him for his word on this one. He feels that's an honor that should be solely bestowed upon the players, and it's not his place to jump in the handshake line. Doesn't get more Hockey Guy than that.