Respect The Game: Why Did Panthers Watch Banner Raising? What Did Sharks’ Warsofsky Think?

The Florida Panthers made headlines in the NHL’s first regular-season game on Tuesday and now face the San Jose Sharks.

The headline wasn’t their 1-0 overtime win over defending Stanley Cup Champions Carolina Hurricanes; it was how they handled the banner raising. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had his team go to the bench before the Hurricanes hit the ice to raise their championship banner. The Stanley Cup was brought out, and his team watched.

Before the Hurricanes, the Panthers had won the previous two Stanley Cups, but Maurice’s move wasn’t out of motivation; it was out of respect for the game.

SHD asked Maurice more about the move on Wednesday. The veteran head coach is one of the most well-spoken bench bosses in the NHL, so he didn’t give a regular PR answer.

“It just seems that we’re in a number of games where we were in Dallas last year, and I think it was [Tyler Seguin’s] 1,000th game or the 1,000th point. It was a big number for him. The players have to honor the players and honor the game. They have to be respectful from it. You win the Stanley Cup; that’s such an enormous accomplishment,” Maurice said.

“Everybody does what they do. For our team, in our situation, we’ve got a lot of veteran players. They should be out celebrating and respecting the game. I think it looks better for the fans. It’s not even optical. It’s the right thing to do, we think, and that’s why we did it.”

In the past, teams often have waited in the locker room while the ceremony goes on for the reigning champs. Maurice’s move could become a new tradition around the league. In other professional sports, like the English Premier League, there is a similar tradition called the ‘Guard of Honour.’

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky shares a similar respect for the game of hockey. The head coach has never been shy about commenting on his feelings about other head coaches in the league. Warsofsky is often very complimentary of his counterparts, and that was no different on Wednesday.

“I thought it was great. That’s just the type of man Paul is. Again, I don’t really know him very well, but from afar and what he’s done in his career is remarkable. [He] came in the league at a young age as well, so I’ve followed him quite closely. He’s got a lot of respect for his players, his own players, and his opponents. And I think that’s great for everyone to see,” Warsofsky said.

“We’re trying to help young kids who are trying to play this sport. There’s sportsmanship, and there’s respect. Everyone’s trying to win, but there’s a lot of respect that goes into it. What he did was very respectful, and I appreciate from afar what he did. I would say Rod [Brind’Amour] would probably be appreciative as well. It’s probably a tough pill to swallow, in a sense, just to watch it. But you know, I give a lot of kudos to them.”

While that moment may not focus on the San Jose Sharks, respect between teams in the league remains high. The Sharks beat the Florida Panthers in both games last season and are now trying to match the same Stanley Cup contention level as their first opponent of the 26-27 season.

“Let’s get right into it. Let’s get thrown right into the fire, and that’s what we’re doing,” the San Jose Sharks coach said. “Like I said, one of the best teams in the last four or five years. What they bring to the table and how they play, I think every team kind of aspires to play that type of hockey.”