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John Tortorella

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John Tortorella
Tortorella with the Rangers in November 2011
Born (1958-06-24) June 24, 1958 (age 66)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Hampton Roads Gulls
Erie Golden Blades
Virginia Lancers
Current NHL coach Philadelphia Flyers
Coached for New York Rangers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Vancouver Canucks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career 1982–1986
Coaching career 1988–present

John Tortorella[1] (born June 24, 1958) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tortorella was previously the head coach of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vancouver Canucks. He led Tampa Bay to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship.[2]

He is the first American-born NHL coach to reach 500 wins and as of the end of the 2023–24 season he is ninth all-time in wins with 742. He has twice won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach.

Tortorella is well known for his outspoken and sometimes confrontational nature, which has included criticizing his own players and members of the media.[3] Tortorella is also known for his system of regularly rotating goaltending duties during his time in Tampa Bay, a system which was discontinued when he became head coach of the New York Rangers and used Henrik Lundqvist as the regular starting goalie. This system returned in the 2019–20 NHL season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, with the emergence of Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzļikins as the goaltender tandem.

Playing career

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Tortorella attended Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord, Massachusetts, and he is listed on the school's athletic Hall of Fame wall (1976). John's brother, Jim, a goaltender, is also listed on the wall.[citation needed]

Nicknamed "The Paper Italian",[4] Tortorella played right wing for three years (1978–1981) at the University of Maine.[1] While at Maine, he played with his brother Jim, who later became assistant coach for the Harvard Crimson.[5]

After college, Tortorella went to Sweden to play a year on Kristianstads IK (1981–1982). After his season in Sweden, he came back to the United States to play four years of minor professional ice hockey (1982–1986) in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL). During these years, he played for the Hampton Roads Gulls, Erie Golden Blades and the Virginia Lancers.[6] Tortorella never played a game in the NHL.

Coaching career

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ECHL and AHL teams

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Tortorella's coaching career began with the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Rochester Americans and the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL)'s Virginia Lancers. He won the Calder Cup with the 1996 Rochester Americans.

Tortorella has been credited by ECHL founders Henry Brabham and Bill Coffey for coming up with the name for the league during a meeting at a Ramada Inn in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At the time, Tortorella was the head coach of Brabham's Virginia Lancers, but he left the Lancers to become the assistant coach of the American Hockey League (AHL)'s New Haven Nighthawks before the ECHL's inaugural season in 1988.[7]

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Tortorella took over the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2000–01 as a midseason head coach replacement. He inherited a team that had been among the dregs of the league for four years, having lost 50 games or more in every season during that time. The team won only 12 of its last 43 games under his watch, finishing last in the division. The following season, the team finished well out of playoff contention despite finishing third in the Southeast Division. However, they showed signs of life for the first time in five years, cracking the 60-point barrier for the first time since 1996–97.

The 2002–03 season marked Tortorella's first winning season as an NHL head coach, as the Lightning won their first Southeast Division title, losing to the New Jersey Devils four games to one in the second round of the 2003 playoffs. At the end of the season he was also recognized as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year, losing out to Minnesota's Jacques Lemaire.

In 2003–04, Tortorella's fourth season with the team, the Lightning ran away with the Southeast Division title, tallying 106 points—the second-best record in the league. The Lightning were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and proceeded to defeat the New York Islanders, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Philadelphia Flyers to win the Prince of Wales Trophy. In the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, they defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames four games to three, winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. In doing so Tortorella became just the third American-born coach to win it and the first in 13 years. The team was in its eleventh year of existence. It was the last Stanley Cup won before the 2004–05 NHL lockout. A few days after winning the Stanley Cup, Tortorella won the 2004 Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.

Before the start of the 2005–06 season – the NHL's first post-lockout campaign – Tampa Bay's starting goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin left the team due to the newly implemented salary cap restrictions. Tortorella was hard on Lightning goaltender John Grahame for much of the 2005–06.[8]

Grahame subsequently signed with the Carolina Hurricanes before the start of the 2006–07 season. Despite the Lightning winning a 2nd-team best 44 games in 2006–07, the Lightning were unable to defend their division title.

On March 11, 2008, with the Lightning defeat of the New York Islanders, Tortorella passed Bob Johnson as the most successful American-born NHL coach with 235 victories.

After getting fired by the Lightning in the 2008 off-season, Tortorella was an in-studio panelist on the NHL on TSN. During this time, on November 7, 2008, Peter Laviolette would overtake his victory total for an American coach.

New York Rangers

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Tortorella as head coach of the New York Rangers during a game in March 2009. He was named the Rangers' head coach on February 23, 2009.

Tortorella was named head coach of the New York Rangers on February 23, 2009, replacing Tom Renney, who was relieved of his duties earlier that day.[9] On March 17, he again became the American-born coach with the most wins in NHL history, this time surpassing Laviolette. Tortorella was suspended one game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. Replays show a fan clearly heckling Tortorella, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan and then grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between two panes of glass. He did not receive a penalty on the play despite the fact that NHL rules state any physical altercation with fans results in ejection from the game; however, the next day the NHL suspended him.[10]

When Laviolette became coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009, the rivalry between the two teams became further heated with Tortorella and Laviolette being the winningest U.S.-born coaches in NHL history. On November 20, 2010, Tortorella became the first American-born coach to reach 300 NHL victories when the Rangers defeated the Minnesota Wild.[11]

In the 2011–12 season he guided the Rangers to the franchise's third ever 50-win season and the best record in the Eastern Conference with a total of 51–24–7 for 109 points. New York lost in the Conference Finals however, to the New Jersey Devils in six games. At season's end, Tortorella became a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for a third time, losing to Ken Hitchcock of the St. Louis Blues.

On March 26, 2013, with a 5–2 defeat of Laviolette's Flyers, Tortorella became the first U.S.-born coach to reach 400 career victories.[citation needed]

The Rangers fired Tortorella on May 29, 2013, four days after New York was eliminated from the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Boston Bruins.[citation needed]

Vancouver Canucks

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As the Vancouver Canucks head coach, Tortorella sparked controversy starting Eddie Läck (left) over Roberto Luongo (right) in the 2014 Heritage Classic.

The Vancouver Canucks announced Tortorella as the team's new coach on June 25, 2013.[12] He replaced Alain Vigneault, who coincidentally had been hired by the Rangers to replace Tortorella.[13]

Tortorella earned his first victory with the Canucks against the Edmonton Oilers on October 5, 2013, with a final score of 6–2.[14]

During the first intermission of a game on January 18, 2014, Tortorella entered the Calgary Flames dressing room area in an apparent attempt to confront Flames coach Bob Hartley; after a line brawl in the opening seconds of the 1st period, Tortorella angrily attempted to confront Hartley, accusing him of starting a lineup with intent to injure a star Canuck player. Tortorella had to be physically restrained by several players and coaches. The NHL subsequently suspended him for 15 days without pay, barring him from being in contact with the team during his suspension. Canucks assistant coach Mike Sullivan took over the head coaching job during Tortorella's suspension.[15]

On March 2, 2014, Tortorella sparked controversy when he chose to start Eddie Läck in the 2014 Heritage Classic held in Vancouver over Roberto Luongo[16] Luongo was openly disappointed and was traded two days later.[17]

He lived full-time in Point Roberts, Washington instead of in Vancouver. Tortorella was criticized by his players for the inadequate amount of practice days, of which he would drive in for a brief appearance, then leave his assistants to handle everything else before returning home. This arrangement frustrated general manager Mike Gillis who had a bed built into Tortorella's office so he could take naps there instead of driving home.[18]

Tortorella's tenure with the Canucks would last only a single season, as the team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. On May 1, 2014, Tortorella and assistant coach Mike Sullivan were fired as part of a management overhaul that had also seen General Manager Mike Gillis let go several weeks prior.[19]

Columbus Blue Jackets

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On October 21, 2015, Tortorella was hired to replace Todd Richards as the Columbus Blue Jackets' head coach, after the Blue Jackets started the 2015–16 season with a 0–7–0 record.[20] As compensation for hiring Tortorella, the Vancouver Canucks received the 55th overall pick (used to select Jonah Gadjovich) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft from the Blue Jackets.[21] On March 19, 2016, the Blue Jackets faced the New Jersey Devils and Tortorella became the 26th head coach in NHL history, and the first born in the United States, to coach 1,000 games.[22]

On December 18, 2016, the Blue Jackets defeated the Canucks in overtime 4–3, making Tortorella the first American-born coach with 500 victories.[23] His success in the 2016-17 NHL season resulted in his second Jack Adams Award.

On January 10, 2019, Tortorella became the first American-born coach, and 19th overall, to reach 600 victories when the Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators.[24] In the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, Tortorella's Blue Jackets won their first playoff series in franchise history by eliminating his old team, the Tampa Bay Lightning; also being the first time that the Presidents' Trophy-winning team failed to win any playoff game despite the Lightning matching the record of 62 regular season wins.[25][26]

On January 2, 2020, Tortorella was fined $20,000 by the NHL for negative comments he made about the on-ice officials on December 29, 2019, after they mishandled the clock in overtime, causing the Blue Jackets to lose 3–2 against the Chicago Blackhawks.[27] The NHL required Tortorella to refrain from similar behavior for the remainder of the year or be fined $25,000; however, on August 25, 2020, Tortorella was fined an additional $25,000 for his actions during virtual media availability following the Blue Jackets' elimination from the playoff bubble by the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning. In spite of the controversy, he was named a Jack Adams finalist for the second time as Blue Jackets coach and fifth overall.

On May 9, 2021, Tortorella agreed to mutually part ways with the Blue Jackets after the expiration of his contract. Tortorella finished his tenure with the Blue Jackets with the most wins of any head coach in franchise history.[28]

Philadelphia Flyers

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Tortorella was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers on June 17, 2022.[29] On December 29, 2023, Tortorella coached his 1,500th NHL regular season game becoming the eighth head coach in NHL history, and the first American-born coach to reach the mark.[30]

On March 9, 2024, Tortorella was ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning following a verbal dispute with referees Wes McCauley and Brandon Schrader. Despite this, Tortorella stalled and stayed on the Flyers bench for several minutes, continuing his altercation with McCauley and Schrader before eventually leaving. The following day, Tortorella was suspended for two games and was fined $50,000.[31]

United States national men's team

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Tortorella was the assistant coach of the United States men's national ice hockey team in 2008–2009,[32] replacing Peter Laviolette, which included leading the squad at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, where they finished sixth.

Tortorella was tapped to coach Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. In the lead-up to the tournament, he said he would "sit" any player who protests during the playing of the national anthem.[33] The team ultimately failed to make it out of the group stage, losing all three games.[34]

Head coaching record

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Team Year Regular Season Postseason
G W L T OTL Pts Finish Result
NYR 1999–2000* 4 0 3 1 — (1) 4th in Atlantic Missed playoffs
TBL 2000–01* 43 12 27 1 3 (28) 5th in Southeast Missed playoffs
TBL 2001–02 82 27 40 11 4 69 3rd in Southeast Missed playoffs
TBL 2002–03 82 36 25 16 5 93 1st in Southeast Lost in conference semifinals (NJD)
TBL 2003–04 82 46 22 8 6 106 1st in Southeast Won Stanley Cup (CGY)
TBL 2005–06 82 43 33 — 6 92 2nd in Southeast Lost in conference quarterfinals (OTT)
TBL 2006–07 82 44 33 — 5 93 2nd in Southeast Lost in conference quarterfinals (NJD)
TBL 2007–08 82 31 42 — 9 71 5th in Southeast Missed playoffs
TBL total 535 239 222 36 38     4 playoff appearances
1 Stanley Cup
NYR 2008–09* 21 12 7 — 2 (26) 4th in Atlantic Lost in conference quarterfinals (WSH)
NYR 2009–10 82 38 33 — 11 87 4th in Atlantic Missed playoffs
NYR 2010–11 82 44 33 — 5 93 3rd in Atlantic Lost in conference quarterfinals (WSH)
NYR 2011–12 82 51 24 — 7 109 1st in Atlantic Lost in conference Finals (NJD)
NYR 2012–13 48 26 18 — 4 56 2nd in Atlantic Lost in conference semifinals (BOS)
NYR total 319 171 118 1 29     4 playoff appearances
VAN 2013–14 82 36 35 — 11 83 5th in Pacific Missed playoffs
VAN total 82 36 35 — 11      
CBJ 2015–16* 75 34 33 — 8 (76) 8th in Metropolitan Missed playoffs
CBJ 2016–17 82 50 24 — 8 108 3rd in Metropolitan Lost in first round (PIT)
CBJ 2017–18 82 45 30 — 7 97 4th in Metropolitan Lost in first round (WSH)
CBJ 2018–19 82 47 31 — 4 98 5th in Metropolitan Lost in second round (BOS)
CBJ 2019–20 70 33 22 — 15 81 5th in Metropolitan Lost in first round (TBL)
CBJ 2020–21 56 18 26 — 12 48 8th in Central Missed playoffs
CBJ total 447 227 166 — 54     4 playoff appearances
PHI 2022–23 82 31 38 — 13 75 7th in Metropolitan Missed playoffs
PHI 2023–24 82 38 33 — 11 87 6th in Metropolitan Missed playoffs
PHI total 164 69 69 — 24      
Total 1,547 742 612 37 156     12 playoff appearances
1 Stanley Cup

* – Mid-season replacement

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "HR Template". Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  2. ^ Goodall, Fred (June 3, 2008). "Lightning fire Tortorella 4 years after Cup win". yahoo.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  3. ^ "John Tortorella, his volatile, confrontational style, and the reckoning of coaches across hockey". The Athletic. December 4, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  4. ^ "FYouth | Manny's Corner".
  5. ^ "Jim Tortorella - Assistant Coach - Men's Ice Hockey Coaches". Harvard University. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  6. ^ "John Tortorella Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com".
  7. ^ Mancuso, Jim (2007), 20 Years of the ECHL, ECHL, p. 6
  8. ^ "Globeandmail.com: Game 4: Senators 5, Lightning 2". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  9. ^ "Tortorella named head coach of Rangers". New York Rangers press release. February 23, 2009. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009.
  10. ^ Staple, Arthur (April 26, 2009). "Now it's Tortorella that gets benched". Newsday. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
  11. ^ "New York Rangers Coach John Tortorella Reaches 300-Win Milestone". bleacherreport.com. November 20, 2010.
  12. ^ "Canucks name John Tortorella head coach". NHL.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  13. ^ "Tortorella: 'I should be scrutinized'". Newsday. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  14. ^ "Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks Box Score — October 5, 2013". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  15. ^ "Tortorella suspended 15 days; Hartley handed $25,000 fine". Archived from the original on January 22, 2014.
  16. ^ "Tortorella defends decision to start Lack over Luongo". NHL.com. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  17. ^ "Roberto Luongo says Heritage Classic snub led to Vancouver exit". The Canadian Press. January 6, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  18. ^ Mooney, Harrison. "How long until John Tortorella is back behind an NHL bench?" Yahoo! Sports, Monday, Jul 28, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  19. ^ "John Tortorella fired as Vancouver Canucks coach along with assistant Mike Sullivan". National Hockey League. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
  20. ^ "John Tortorella replaces Todd Richards as coach of Columbus (0-7-0)". ESPN. October 21, 2015.
  21. ^ Johnston, Mike. "Canucks receive compensatory pick from Blue Jackets for John Tortorella". Sportsnet. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  22. ^ "By The Numbers: Tortorella at 1,000 Games". bluejackets.com. March 19, 2016.
  23. ^ "Blue Jackets win ninth straight game". nhl.com. December 18, 2016.
  24. ^ "John Tortorella earns 600th NHL win". nhl.com. January 10, 2019.
  25. ^ "'We couldn't find our game,' says Lightning coach of historic playoff loss". CBC.ca. April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  26. ^ Stacy, Mitch (April 17, 2019). "Jackets play giant killer with historic sweep of Lightning". CBC.ca. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  27. ^ Blackburn, Pete (January 2, 2020). "Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella fined $20K by NHL for ripping refs, also faces 'conditional fine'". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  28. ^ "CBJ, John Tortorella mutually agree to part ways". NHL.com. May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  29. ^ "Flyers Name John Tortorella Head Coach". NHL.com. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  30. ^ Kurz, Kevin (December 29, 2023). "Flyers' John Tortorella becomes eighth coach in NHL history to reach 1,500 games". The Athletic. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  31. ^ "Flyers' Tortorella suspended two games, fined $50K for conduct towards officials". Sportsnet.ca. March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  32. ^ "John Tortorella, Scott Gordon join U.S. Olympic Hockey Coaching Staff". ESPN. June 29, 2009.
  33. ^ "Tortorella 'will sit' any Team USA player who protests anthem - Sportsnet.ca". Sportsnet.ca. Archived from the original on August 6, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  34. ^ "Team USA ends group play at World Cup of Hockey winless". USA Today. September 23, 2016.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Jack Adams Award
2004
2017 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Head coach of the Tampa Bay Lighting
2001–2008 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the New York Rangers
2009–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Vancouver Canucks
2013–2014 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets
2015–2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Mike Yeo
(interim)
 Head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers
2022–present 		Incumbent
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