Despite Hockey N.L. ban, some teams have kept post-game handshakes

Some hockey teams in Newfoundland and Labrador have continued post-game handshakes despite the tradition's eliminationby thesport's provincial governing body.

In some of the first games back from the holiday break, posts on Facebook indicate that some teams in the provinceare continuing to shake hands after games. Some of those teams play in the Port aux Basques Minor Hockey Association, andpresident Brock Seaward says he knows of some teams that have shaken hands after their gamesand some that haven't.

"It's tradition, and it's hard to break tradition. And it's hard to understand when people tell us we have to break tradition, especially if it's a tradition that's surrounding such a, you know, good sportsmanship-type of activity or procedure."

Citing incidents that led to the suspension of players and coaches, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador axed the post-game handshakebefore the Christmas break, adecision that made international headlines, and said handshakes would take place before games instead.Even N.L. Premier Andrew Furey weighed in, criticizing the ruling for eliminating an opportunity to teach sportsmanship.

Seaward said teams in his association didn't have enough concern about post-game violence for their executive to decide whether it was for or against Hockey N.L.'s decision, he said.

"But the way that we play it is that if we're told by HNL to, you know, follow a specific set of rules well, being a member of HNL I guess we are expected to follow the rules," he told CBC News. "It's all in place for a reason."

The handshake ruling was a hot-button issue among the Port aux Basques hockey community, he said, and many people disagreewith the decision and don't understand Hockey N.L.'s reasoning.

"I don't think that we've witnessed anything from our group over the last number of years happening in the post-game handshake. So I guess if you don't see it, sometimes you don't understand, and you think that the reasoning is irrational," Seaward said.

He said he hasn't given much thought as to what Hockey N.L. could have done instead of eliminating the post-game handshakebut said there are other avenues they could have taken like an end-of-game salute to fans like teams in the NHL do at the end of games.

Other hockey associations with teams that have continued post-game handshakesdeclined interview requests fromCBC News.

Hockey N.L. has saidthe removal of post-game handshakes is only a trial, and that it applies to men's hockey. The organization did not respond to a request for comment late Tuesday afternoon.

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