Rod Brind'Amour's handshake vow created an iconic moment

That decision created the defining image of the Eastern Conference Final.

Last year, Paul Maurice convinced Brind'Amour to skip the handshake line entirely after the Florida Panthers eliminated Carolina.

Maurice argued the moment belonged only to the players who competed, and Brind'Amour reluctantly agreed.

He later told reporters he disagreed with the approach. Brind'Amour said the line gave him a chance to recognize former players and show respect to coaches who had battled through the same grind.

He vowed to go back to the tradition moving forward. He's been in the handshake line three times this postseason and the one against Montreal paid off in a way nobody predicted.

After the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated the Montreal Canadiens 6-1 in Game 5 on Friday, the handshake line produced the moment everyone remembered.

Martin St-Louis and Brind'Amour stopped, talked, and held the exchange far longer than the usual quick tap.

Both coaches played in the NHL for years and crossed paths many times in their careers.

That shared history gave the moment more weight than a standard postgame courtesy.

The contrast with last year tells the real story. In 2025, Brind'Amour was talked out of the handshake line by the opposing coach.

In 2026, he walked through it and created the most talked-about image of the entire playoff round.

St-Louis had just watched his team's season end. He still paused and engaged with the man on the other side.

That is the kind of scene that only happens when both coaches have earned the right to be there.

Maurice's argument had logic behind it. But Brind'Amour's instinct proved stronger.

The handshake line exists because it captures something no press conference ever could.

If he had followed Maurice's lead again, this moment between two former players turned coaches simply never happens.

Carolina now heads to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights with Game 1 set for June 2 in Raleigh.

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