Tortorella was fired by the Flyers and it should be his last NHL coaching job…
The Philadelphia Flyers made a decisive (and necessary) move this week — parting ways with head coach John Tortorella in what has become an all-too-familiar story in his NHL coaching career. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Flyers GM Daniel Brière was still set to meet with Tortorella as of Tuesday morning. By Thursday, Tortorella was out of a job, and the Flyers had shifted from evaluating their options to bringing in Brad Shaw on an interim basis.
The organization’s sudden pivot after Tortorella said he wasn’t “interested in coaching a team” in the Flyers’ situation is proof of how quickly things escalated. The Flyers had little choice but to move on. The optics of letting a coach stay on board who has no “interest” in doing his job would have been unforgivable.
The dismissal raises a broader question: Why do NHL teams keep giving Tortorella chances when history shows that every job he takes inevitably ends in controversy and tension?
A History of Conflict with the Game and Its Stars
There is no denying the kind of success Tortorella has had in the past, including a Stanley Cup win with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. That said, his track record is marred by clashes with players, the media, and even the evolution of the modern game itself. He’s had far more instances of negative publicity than positive, and as wildly entertaining as he has been for fans, his schtick has gotten old.
His latest comments suggest he can no longer be trusted, which is a mistake the Flyers clearly made.
Tortorella’s coaching style has always been polarizing. From his infamous media outbursts to his rigid demands on players, he has developed a reputation as a coach who wears out his welcome sooner rather than later. His tenure with the New York Rangers saw him routinely berating reporters, leading to tense press conferences that often became more about his attitude than the team’s performance. His stint with the Vancouver Canucks in 2013-14 was even shorter, lasting just one season before he was fired for his volatile behavior, including an infamous locker room confrontation with the Calgary Flames.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
