In possible last gig, Tortorella ready for challenge
VOORHEES, N.J. » Forget the official announcement Friday, and the celebration of pandemic days of yore by following that up with a Zoom media chat. This was Tuesday, a day of inperson introduction for new Flyers head coach John Tortorella, and considering all the talk about him and his relationship with the media in other coaching spots, he apparently felt the need to weigh in on that previous Zoom intro.
“I thought it was good,” Tortorella said when surrounded by media in an otherwise empty and newly painted (in brutal orange) locker room at the Flyers’ Skate Zone facility.
Oops, sorry, shouldn’t have written that quote. After all, this first live and in-your-face Torts media session was said to be “off the record.”
Hmmm. Maybe they’re just practicing for the season ahead?
Either way, we’ll proceed with the thought that breaking such a tenet — in this case only — is perfectly legal.
There’s a deadline to meet, after all.
“I just miss what goes on in this place,” … um, sources said that Tortorella said while looking around that very bright locker room. “I don’t miss you guys. (Self-effacing chuckles all around). But I miss the conflict that goes on in here, I miss the good stuff that goes on in here, I miss the radio going on after a win, you know, when you’re walking in? … I just enjoy the camaraderie.”
Tortorella, an NHL head coach for 19 of the last 21 seasons, missed a hockey locker room. I suppose he learned to ignore the smell — or gratefully relish it — long ago. After being dismissed from Columbus after six somewhat impressive seasons, a move that Tortorella on Friday claimed was more or less mutual, he tried his tongue as a television analyst last season at ESPN.
For this conversational kumbaya with media members, some who might hear him snap at them sometime in the not-sodistant future (let’s hope so), Tortorella stirred only the pot of poignancy.
He talked of his love and respect for his ESPN colleagues, even while admitting, “TV? I don’t know. … I got tired of hearing myself speak, to be honest with you.”
He talked of his love of so many players, including former Flyers pot-stirring forward Scott Hartnell and current potential captain Cam Atkinson, both of whom played for Torts in Columbus.
He talked fondly of 2004, when he and the Flyers’ Ken Hitchcock engaged in an all-time battle of coaching head games with admirable public trash talking performances. That Eastern Conference final between Tampa Bay and the Flyers had to go seven mostly great games to steal the spotlight away from
Hitch’s and Torts’ off-theice-capades act.
Ah, spittle under the bridge…
This nearly 64 Tortorella also spoke of his chums in the media — no, really — even the guy in New York who helped him wage public war for much of five seasons with the Rangers and carve his reputation as a head coach who didn’t get along with the press.
(Not true, by the way). Meanwhile, it helped him divert attention from occasional bad stretches that the Rangers incurred. That, of course, is a common tool that coaches, given to belches of emotion or not, often employ.
“I have great friendships in the media,” Torts was heard to say. “I want the pressure. You think
I’m doing a crappy job, write it. That’s all part of it, for me. I want the challenge of it.”
(Sorry, the above line was definitely off the record).
While then dropping the thought that this will be his last NHL head coaching stop … he thinks … you were moved to wonder if age brings a slight easing of the innate gas pedal? Even for the occasionally out-of-sorts Torts? After all, and this is for the record: He’s the oldest head coach ever hired by the Flyers and currently
the second-oldest head coach in the league.
Said Tortorella with a retorting smile, “It’s only a number, right? We’re all getting older, it’s only a number. … This will be my last one but I couldn’t be more thrilled or excited than to be here in Philly.”
So then, if he wants a challenge, he’s got one.
For this Flyers club that finished strong in the race to the league bottom last season is a bit of a hot mess. Too many good players coming off bad years, a goalie in Carter Hart who can flash brilliance but also seems like he’s trying to find himself after an up-and-down first few seasons, a team leader in Sean Couturier trying to get healthy again, a deep dearth of talent down the roster, a general manager whose moves haven’t exactly inspired confidence…
Did we miss anything? “I’ll listen, but there’s some work to do and they’re going to have to listen to me,” Tortorella said, off the record and/or on it. “Because I think we need to get some things straightened out here.”
Let the games begin …