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Entries with the tag: John+Tortorella
NHL Statement On Tortorella Being Fined
by Paul on 01/04/12 at 09:04 PM ET
Comments (7)
NEW YORK (Jan. 4, 2012)—New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella has been fined for comments made following Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
“There is no acceptable explanation or excuse for commentary challenging the integrity of the League, its officials or its broadcast partners,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. “People can disagree with calls by officials on the ice, but even in instances of the utmost frustration there is no justification for speaking as inappropriately and irresponsibly as Mr. Tortorella did.”
Multiple reports are the fine is $30,000.
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Tortorella Apologizes For Winter Classic Post-Game Comments
by Paul on 01/04/12 at 01:33 PM ET
Comments (19)
from Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants,
John Tortorella is still facing an NHL fine but before taking questions after his Rangers practiced today, the coach asked the media for a few minutes to address his post-game comments from Monday’s 3-2 win over the Flyers in the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park.
After the victory, Tortorella, angered by some late game penalties and non-calls, particularly a penalty shot awarded to the Flyers Daniel Briere with 19.6 seconds remaining in regulation, suggested during his post-game press conference that the NHL and NBC met to see if they could take the game to overtime.
Tortorella issued a wide-ranging apology for what he called his “tongue-in-cheek” comments and lamented that he “tainted” a “first-class operation” in the Winter Classic “with my mouth.”
added 7:57pm, Numerous reports are a $30,000 fine for Tortorella.
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Is Tortorella Right?
by Paul on 11/11/11 at 11:57 PM ET
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from Andrew Gross of Rangers Rants,
Because the coach has been chastising the media lately for not talking enough about Dan Girardi, calling him one of the most underrated players in the NHL. So I figured, even though, in the grand scheme of the Rangers’ sixth straight win tonight it’s not a huge, huge deal, I figured Tortorella would have something to say about his current No.1 defenseman being snubbed from the NHL All-Star ballot. Marc Staal, who has yet to play this season because of a concussion, is on the ballot.
“Oh, this league,” said Tortorella, waving his hand in disgust. “It’s because he’s not pedigree. There’s no pedigree there. Our league is so ass-backwards when it comes to that. It’s not just this year that he’s been underrated. This guy has been a really good player. But if you don’t have the pedigree in this league, they don’t look at you.”
more and if words are not enough for you, scroll to the 1:45 mark in the video below to watch it…
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Tortorella With More On Thornton’s Words, Thornton Backs-Off
by Paul on 11/01/11 at 02:30 PM ET
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from Pat Leonard of the Blueshirts Blog,
John Tortorella did not appreciate Sharks captain Joe Thornton calling the Rangers soft after the Blueshirts defeated San Jose, 5-2, Monday night. Not one bit.
“Yeah it caught me off-guard when it was brought up after the game,” Tortorella said at the team’s Greenburgh practice facility Tuesday morning. “It surprised me, and I’ve never heard a player say that. Joe’s a heck of a player, but here’s a player popping off about our team, and Joe hasn’t won a g—damn thing in this league. He could go down as a player, being one of the better players in our league never to win anything. So what he should do is just shut up. It was uncalled for, it was classless, and I’ve never had it happen like that before.”
via Darren Dreger tweet,
Thornton says “soft” was not the right word to describe Rangers. He was frustrated says it was a game SJ should have won with NYR struggling
added 8:36pm, video of Torts from yesterday after the game and today after practice can be watched below…
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Tags: Joe+Thornton, John+Tortorella,
Evening Line
by Paul on 10/31/11 at 10:59 PM ET
Comments (5)
via Katie Strang of ESPN New York,
“They were probably the softest team we played on the trip. We should have had these two points.”
-Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks after losing to the New York Rangers 5-2 tonight.
Rangers head coach John Tortorella after hearing the words from Thornton?
“Wonderful.”
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Tags: Joe+Thornton, John+Tortorella,
Video- John Tortorella’s Post-Game Presser Last Night
by Paul on 10/23/11 at 09:30 AM ET
Comments (4)
Short and sweet after losing 2-0 in Edmonton last night.
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Sean Avery Not Expecting Recall to NYR
by Alanah McGinley on 10/19/11 at 02:07 PM ET
Comments (2)
From Pat Leonard at The Blueshirts Blog:
Avery was asked whether he expects the Rangers to recall him from the Connecticut Whale. He was sent through waivers to the minors on Oct. 4 while still with the team in Sweden.
The winger told ESPNNewYork.com, “Probably not. I doubt it,” and said of whether the Rangers gave him a fair chance to make the NHL roster: “I’d say it’s pretty obvious. I’ll let everyone else decide for themselves.”
Tortorella received the news of Avery’s comments after Wednesday morning’s skate in Vancouver before the Blueshirts flew east to Calgary for Thursday night’s game against the Flames. But the coach wasn’t interested in revisiting the Avery saga, coming off a 4-0 win over the Canucks but with many issues still to address with his team’s play.
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Tags: john+tortorella, sean+avery,
Sean Avery Benched Again
by Alanah McGinley on 10/03/11 at 12:58 PM ET
Comments (1)
From Dan Rosen’s NHL.com blog:
Well, Avery didn’t play Sunday in Bratislava and he’s not in the lineup today in Zug.
Why? Well, I won’t get the chance to ask the coach until after the game, but I can figure only two things: Either Tortorella has seen enough of Avery, who injured his lip against Frolunda on Friday, and wanted to get a real good look at Christensen without having to worry about watching another player as closely, or Avery is on his way out.
I could be way off, but that’s what I’m going with right now. I’ll find out more from Tortorella after the game.
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Tags: erik+christiensen, john+tortorella, sean+avery,
NY Rangers, Uncensored
by Alanah McGinley on 09/26/11 at 03:30 PM ET
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From Jesse Spector at the Blueshirts Blog:
As for the Winter Classic, Sather was asked specifically about HBO’s “24/7,” and the concerns of the Rangers organization about granting unfettered access to cameras.
“I like it, because I think what it does is it exposes the players to a lot of different aspects of their lives that people don’t normally get to see,” Sather said. “I think there has to be a little mystery left behind. I don’t want it to be a real reality show, but I’d like the fans to get to know that these people are real. A lot of the players, other than their pictures in the program, aren’t seen without their helmets. They’re all good people, they’re good guys, and I think those things will prove itself out.”
Asked whether the Rangers have ultimate say over what is shown on HBO, Sather said, “With Torts being involved in this, are you kidding?”
read on - and more at Puck Daddy, too
More details on the Winter Classic and the earlier press conference posted here.
Here’s a video from the NHL featuring a few of the jabs…
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: glen+sather, john+tortorella,
Comparing Boucher to Tortorella in Tampa
by Alanah McGinley on 05/17/11 at 12:27 PM ET
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From Gary Shelton at St. Petersburg Times:
Think of Boucher as a surgeon’s scalpel. Think of Tortorella as a Viking’s broadsword. Think of Boucher as your favorite teacher. Think of Tortorella as your grumpy uncle. Think of Boucher playing chess. Think of Tortorella playing with fire.
You know, like that.
None of this is meant to lessen the impact of either coach. Frankly, the world needs diplomats, and it needs trail bosses. When you consider the job Boucher has done this year, and the job that Torts did in his years, Tampa Bay should feel a fondness for both men. At this point, the most fair thing you can say is that Tortorella was the perfect coach for the championship team, and Boucher has been the perfect coach for this one.
“I think there are a lot more similarities than differences,” said Nigel Kirwan, the Lightning’s video coach who worked for both men. “They’re both pretty intense in their desire to win. And when they lose, they’re both men you want to stay away from. Neither one of them likes losing, which is why I think they’ve both been successful.”
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Tags: guy+boucher, john+tortorella,
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 04/19/11 at 02:13 PM ET
Comments (1)
“Our mindset is just focusing on what we need to do, how we play – play the right way and get ready for Game 4. We have confidence in the league, we have confidence in the officials that they won’t be influenced by all the whining going on here right now.
“We’re staying away from it, and we’re focused on what we need to do. And like I said, we have confidence in the league that this doesn’t affect the series. It’s a pretty good series. Two pretty good teams, going at it pretty hard.”
-New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella. Quote via Capitals Insider.
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John Tortorella Gets Testy Again
by Alanah McGinley on 04/15/11 at 02:08 PM ET
Comments (15)
From Jesse Spector at the Blueshirts Blog:
The press conference started off smoothly enough, but then took an ugly turn when Tortorella did not like the line of questioning from Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Here’s the video of the first two minutes of the media session…
Video: (NSFW)
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Tags: john+tortorella, larry+brooks,
Rangers Leave The Back Door Open
by Paul on 04/07/11 at 09:41 PM ET
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from Dave Caldwell of the New York Times,
No matter how the Rangers fared Thursday against the Atlanta Thrashers, they could not earn a little “x” next to their name in the N.H.L. standings for having clinched a playoff berth. But they did have the power to skim much of the suspense from what has become a punishing playoff push.
Three nights after losing their catalyst, Ryan Callahan, to a broken ankle, the Rangers floundered, falling meekly at Madison Square Garden, 3-0. They can still make the playoffs, but now they need some help from the opponents of their pursuers, the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Rangers (43-33-5) remained 2 points ahead of the Hurricanes (39-30-11), the ninth-place team in the Eastern Conference, who did not play Thursday and have two games remaining. The Rangers’ regular-season finale is Saturday at home against the Devils.
continued
added 11:29pm, Watch Tortorella post-game conference below…
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Video- Tortorella Not Happy After Loss To Lightning
by Paul on 02/27/11 at 06:48 PM ET
Comments (4)
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Afternoon Line
by Paul on 12/11/10 at 05:45 PM ET
Comments (1)
He even told the New York Post’s Larry Brooks, with whom he has publicly sparred over the years, that an article about a goaltending decision was “well-written.”
But Tortorella never completely relinquishes the needle: He finished the comment by adding: ” . . . not that it happens all that often.”
-Steve Zipay of Newsday writing about a ‘softer’ John Tortorella. Read more from Zipay.
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All Tortorella
by Paul on 08/12/10 at 09:38 AM ET
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from Stan Fischler of MSG,
Right off the bat, I asked Torts to give me some reasons for optimism.
“I feel good about what we did so far this Summer,” he shot back. “We didn’t deal any of our kids and the foundation for the team is in place. We have to build a club without relying totally on free agency.
“We want to keep our youthful core and keep adding to it.”
He also is pleased that Glen Sather signed Martin Biron, an experienced goaltender who will provide the Rangers what they’ve lacked since just after the last Lockout; someone who can enable Henrik Lundqvist to obtain more rest than he’s had for years.
“Marty is a good back-up goalie,” said Tortorella. “I’d like to see him play between seventeen and twenty games next season. He’s solid and I expect him to win games.
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Tortorella After The Loss To Philadelphia
by Paul on 04/11/10 at 06:15 PM ET
Comments (2)
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Tortorella Meets The Media After The Rangers Loss Tonight
by Paul on 04/06/10 at 09:37 PM ET
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Watch the save by Miller on Gaborik below that Torts discusses in the video,....
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Tortorella Establishes His Turf
by Paul on 03/11/10 at 08:37 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
For his next trick, Rangers’ head coach and travel director John Tortorella will have his players take rickshaws to Atlanta for tomorrow night’s match with the Thrashers.
It’s always about something else with Tortorella, always about establishing turf and about those meaningless catch phrases the coach likes to toss out there to distract attention from the issue at large, which happens to be that his team is largely unresponsive to him and his methods.
The particular catch phrase for yesterday was, “Limos flying in all over the place,” because Tortorella had taken it upon himself to become offended that prior regimes had permitted Rangers players to travel by car service to games in New Jersey.
As such, the Rangers were not permitted to travel across the Hudson on their own for last night’s match against the Devils. Instead, the Rangers took a team bus on Tuesday evening and spent the night in a Newark hotel.
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Tortorello To Larry Brooks- “Just Go Stand Somewhere Else”
by Paul on 01/21/10 at 11:21 PM ET
Comments (11)
It’s not the best video, turn up your speakers and scroll to the 2 minute mark.
I’ll try to replace the video if I find a better one.
added 11:27pm, Found a better copy of the post game presser.
added 11:33pm, If you missed the Carcillo/Gaborik fight, watch it here.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: John+Tortorella, Larry+Brooks,
Tortorella Stumped After Rangers 6-0 Thumping To Philly
by Paul on 12/31/09 at 08:32 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
It is not one thing not to be big enough or fast enough or skilled enough. It is quite another thing not to care enough.
And it is even something else altogether not to care at all, which is the impression the Rangers left with anyone and everyone who had the misfortune of watching last night’s 6-0 defeat to the Flyers.
Something is rotten at the Garden.
continued and watch the Tortorella post-game press conference….
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The Tortorella Video Soundboard
by Paul on 12/18/09 at 09:40 AM ET
Comments (3)
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Tortorella Takes Action
by Paul on 12/17/09 at 12:45 PM ET
Comments (3)
from the Twitter of Larry Brooks,
Redden Kotalik scratched
added 1:21pm, Tortorella post-game conference after the loss to the Islanders last night.
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Hiding Behind The Rule Book
by Paul on 11/29/09 at 02:52 PM ET
Comments (14)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
John Tortorella wants the instigator rule removed from the book as it currently stands.
The Rangers’ head coach expressed that opinion after Matt Cooke elbowed Artem Anisimov in the head at 7:34 of the third period of last night’s 8-3 defeat to the Penguins and escaped all punishment other than—get this—a two-minute penalty for interference.
Anisimov, who lost his helmet and went to the ice hard after absorbing the blow on which Cooke appeared to leave his feet, remained on the bench for the duration of the game.
“The big thing this year is head shots and what the league is going to do about it, but to me it’s pretty simple,” Tortorella said. “There’s no fear at all [of] retribution.
“That’s why there’s more violence. Guys hide behind the rule book.”
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Tortorella Helped Erin Andrews With Her Career
by Paul on 10/19/09 at 04:52 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Tom Jones of the St. Peterburg Times via Scripps News,
Q: Let’s talk about your career. How much did former Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella (the coach when Andrews started with the NHL team) influence your career?
(Erin Andrews) A: “Torts’ has meant so much to me in my life and in my career. It was clearly a situation where he didn’t want a 22-year-old around that team, nor should he have. He was trying to turn around the worst team in the league. And here’s this 22-year-old kid right out of school traveling on the bus, at the hotel, at all the practices.
But he taught me so much about how to prepare, how you should act as a professional, how to ask questions. I mean, if you weren’t prepared, a guy like that could be tough to deal with. (Laughs) And he taught me to have no fear. He taught me how to prepare and jump right in. He was so good and respectful to me, and he didn’t have to be. Everybody with the Lightning was like that.
more but not much more hockey talk…
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‘Torts’ In Mid-Season Form
by Paul on 09/25/09 at 10:35 AM ET
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from Steve Zipay of Blue Notes at Newsday,
None of the half-dozen beat writers covered the preseason game in Detroit and the next afternoon, in Boston, Andrew Gross and I lined up for the brief pregame QnA with the coach. Asked if he enjoyed the previous evening’s post-game presser without the daily chroniclers, he called it “the best bleepin hour of my career…It’s not just you guys, I hate all the bleepin’ media.” After two innocuous questions yesterday afternoon, he told Larry Brooks to “stop coaching” and chastised me for worring too much about the lines. No prob, we’re big boys. Some of this is a yen for confrontation and because he’d rather not publicly divulge his ideas—-except on his own terms, when he wants to send a message.
more & other Rangers notes…
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Tortorella On Dubinsky
by Paul on 09/12/09 at 01:17 PM ET
Comments (5)
via Steve Zipay of Blue Notes at Newsday,
On the first day of training camp, unsigned RFA Brandon Dubinsky was a no-show.
And John Tortorella was not happy.
“It’s stupid, ” the Rangers head coach said after 50-plus players went through a series of medical tests and wind sprints. “He’s a young man that needs to be here. I think a player needs to be with his teammates. I’m hoping he realizes that. I think his agent’s stupid….I think Dubi understands my feelings. I thought Glen (Sather) was very honest with Dubi a couple days ago—-I was privy to that conversation—-as a general manager and man-to-man as a friend.”
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Tags: Brandon+Dubinsky, John+Tortorella,
Tortorella Talks Rangers
by Paul on 08/19/09 at 07:16 AM ET
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from Jeff Z. Klein of Slap Shot at the NY Times,
Tortorella is usually full of eloquent enthusiasm, but always lurking just beneath the surface is the promise of conflict. He said he was looking forward to getting hold of the Rangers for the first time in training camp, as opposed to late in the season.
“The real part of it is when you can have your own camp,” he said. “That’s where we can establish what our mindset is going to be, conditioning, which I think is a weakness of our club. As I’ve said, and I make no bones about it, I don’t think we’re a stiff team mentally. I think we have to be a little bit tougher in that area, in mental parts and preparation.”
And how will it work with the Rangers now that Torts will have control from Game 1?
“It’s a process, it’s accountability, it’s merit,” he said, then outlined a program of eternal Darwinian struggle.
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Firewagon Hockey In NYC
by Paul on 08/03/09 at 01:51 PM ET
Comments (1)
Part 2 of an interview with John Tortorella…
from Stan Fischler of Game On,
This is John’s team and he has an obligation to mold it, not only in his image and philosophy but also with the players he believes will best serve the Rangers interests.
Tortorella is emphasizing what the Canadiens called Firewagon Hockey, when Montreal won five-straight Stanley Cups between 1956 and 1960. He wants speed and more speed; along with as much youth as possible. Betts apparently does not fill that bill, admirable as his defensive skills may be.
In a nutshell, Orr has won a ridiculously high and long contract from the Maple Leafs simply because GM Brian Burke is building a behemoth roster. Brashear is a better fighter than Orr and skates faster. There was no way Glen Sather should have paid crazy bucks for Orr nor a long-term deal befitting a Sid Crosby.
As for Tortorella, he was typically candid about each of the trio, showing a sincere appreciation for the contributions of Betts and Orr while explaining the importance of the Brashear import.
“I really liked Bettsy,” said Torts. “He was really good for us on the penalty-kill and on face-offs.”
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Evening Line
by Paul on 07/31/09 at 07:52 PM ET
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“The other day I told my wife that I still can’t believe that I’m preparing to run a camp for a team in New York City. I love the people, the building, the pressure of it all. It’s the NEW YORK RANGERS; AN ORIGINAL SIX TEAM IN THE WORLD’S BIGGEST VENUE. For me, coaching this team is a privilege!”
-Rangers coach John Tortorella. Much more on ‘Torts’ from Stan Fishcler of Game On.
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Morning Line
by Paul on 06/30/09 at 09:15 AM ET
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“I thought some guys were tired in the first round of the playoffs — it’s unacceptable. I think we need to change the look of our club. I think we need to change a little bit of the attitude of our club. It’s wide open and that’s a good thing for a player. So he [had] better be in shape because that’s something he can control.”
-New York Rangers coach John Tortella. More from the coach by Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com.
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Schoenfeld Talks About Tortorella Suspension
by Paul on 04/26/09 at 12:24 PM ET
Comments (5)
from Jeff Z. Klein of Slap Shot at the NY Times,
Schoenfeld talked about what triggered Tortorella’s outburst, which was caught by Verizon Center security cameras and which led to the N.H.L.’s suspension, levied at 10 o’clock Saturday night. In suspending Tortorella, the league said that the coach squirted water at fans, then had a drink thrown at him from the stands, then threw a bottle that struck another fan.
“I’ll tell you, I know the heart of the guy, and I know the thing that triggered him,” Schoenfeld said, then referred to the Verizon Center fans behind the bench area. “It wasn’t any sling they threw at him, and there were many. It was something they said about one of his players.”
Schoenfeld continued, addressing reporters: “And you guys, it’s easy to say that you’ve got to keep control or you’ve got to keep it in check, turn the other way, that there are rules. But there’s a certain part of your being when you’re a coach, and it’s just like being a parent. There are certain things you’ll put up with when people slander your kids, and there’s a certain line that people cross. And that’s what happened with John,” he added.
added 2:17pm, also from Jeff Z. Klein of Slap Shot,
Just before Game 6 Sunday afternoon, the Rangers released a letter to N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman from G.M. Glen Sather, asking that the Washington Capitals be disciplined for failing to control the actions of their fans in the incident that led to the one-game suspension to Rangers Coach John Tortorella for squirting water and throwing a water bottle at fans late in Game 5.
The letter alleged that fans spat on Ranger bench personnel, shouted homophobic remarks about Rangers players and screamed in Tortorella’s ear. The letter said that Verizon Center security guards and ushers did nothing when asked by the Rangers bench personnel to restrain the fans.
continued, copy of the letter can be read there…
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Tags: Jim+Schoenfeld, John+Tortorella,
Tortorella Suspended One Game
by Paul on 04/25/09 at 08:53 PM ET
Comments (12)
from NHL.com,
“While it is a difficult decision to suspend a coach at this point in a playoff series, it has been made clear to all of our players, coaches and other bench personnel that the National Hockey League cannot—and will not—tolerate any physical contact with fans,” NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said. “We do not take this action lightly. It is the result of an entire day of investigation and evaluation that included the retrieval and review of videotape of the incident and discussions with Mr. Tortorella, other Rangers’ bench personnel and a number of other people, including the security personnel at the Verizon Center.
added 11:04pm, The Rangers issued a one line statement on the suspension- “We disagree with the suspension and will have no further comment.”
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‘Tough Guy’ Caps Fan Gets Into It With Tortorella
by Paul on 04/25/09 at 07:55 AM ET
Comments (8)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
John Tortorella faces disciplinary action from the NHL after throwing a water bottle from the Rangers’ bench into the stands at 6:33 of the third period of last night’s Game 5, 4-0 defeat to the Caps.
The head coach, who would not answer questions about the incident, could be suspended by commissioner Gary Bettman for tomorrow afternoon’s Game 6 at the Garden. The Rangers’ public relations representative threatened to end last night’s postgame press conference if questions on the subject continued.
Tortorella, who may have thought he had been doused by a beer or spat upon during a television timeout, wheeled toward the stands and threw a bottle over the high glass protecting the bench.
continued and Puck Daddy has some video of the water bottle toss.
note: original post date was 4/24/09 at 9:42pm
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“We Stunk Defensively”
by Paul on 04/20/09 at 10:08 PM ET
Comments (1)
Rangers coach John Tortorella discusses the loss to the Capitals tonight.
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A Look At Tortorella As The Rangers Coach
by Paul on 04/01/09 at 08:46 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Five weeks and 16 games of 9-5-2 hockey into his tenure, what stands out about John Tortorella’s crash course from behind the Rangers bench?
1: Well, the head coach’s oft-repeated pronouncements that he “isn’t an X’s and O’s guy,” and that the game “isn’t about X’s and O’s,” seem to be hogwash. Indeed, Tortorella appears to be every bit as much about using video to teach as was his predecessor, Tom Renney, not that that’s a bad thing.
Tortorella may encourage more instinctive play from his athletes than many of the league’s more defense-oriented coaches, and he might be a greater believer in the upside of risk/reward hockey than the individual he replaced, but Tortorella, too, has a system he teaches. It’s not freestyle hockey by any means.
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Tortorella Discusses The Rangers Loss To The Penguins
by Paul on 03/28/09 at 07:49 PM ET
Comments (9)
Rangers coach John Tortorella seems a bit frustrated after the Rangers lost to the Penguins today. Torts also discusses the five minute interference call on Colton Orr in the 3rd period.
Watch the interference call on Orr below…
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This Hiring Was Different
by Paul on 02/26/09 at 09:14 AM ET
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from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
You see, one of these days Glen Sather will announce that he actually retired in 1992 but hasn’t bothered to inform anyone yet. Then the Rangers may have a chance of going somewhere. The Tortorella signing unusually was clever, even for Sather.
This coming after the Scott Gomez ($8 million US), Chris Drury ($7 million), Wade Redden ($8 million) and Markus Naslund ($5 million) signings were not.
That’s like messing up the cycle of free agency for the still irrelevant Sather. But getting Tortorella, man, this guy’s a pistol and when he’s comfortable enough to be himself, New York will eat him up with a spoon. He will be that delicious. He gives good sound byte. Even if he can’t change that dysfunctional roster which got a little bit stranger yesterday with Sather’s latest bit of sleep-walking, the claiming of Mark Bell on waivers from the Maple Leafs.
The hiring of Tortorella is different from most NHL hirings.
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I, John Tortorella Agree…
by Paul on 02/25/09 at 06:58 PM ET
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from Allan Maki of the Globe and Mail,
When freshly-hired New York Rangers coach John Tortorella refused to discuss Sean Avery the other day - the same Avery who Tortorella used to roast during his TSN gig - most everyone suspected the awful truth: the Rangers were probably desperate enough to bring Avery back into the fold.
Now comes word from an NHL source that the Rangers are so intent on bringing Avery back they gave Tortorella a condition of employment: you can have the job but you’re almost certain to be coaching Avery before the season is done.
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Rangers Needed A Change
by Paul on 02/24/09 at 10:45 AM ET
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from Stan Fischler of Game On,
In a sense Glen Sather—announcing his new coach and looking to the immediate and distant Rangers future—sounded the theme of a recently-elected president.
CHANGE!
His Blueshirts needed a different personality, with a louder voice who would provide the Rangers with a go-go attacking style rather than over-worrying about goals against.
More than anything, those points explain why John Tortorella is the new head coach and Tom Renney is on a sabbatical he would not have wished on himself.
Oh yeah, and there’s also a not-so-small matter of the Rangers possibly even slipping out of a playoff berth had the Old Guard remained behind the bench.
“Over the last couple of weeks I watched the team slide,” said Sather in a far-reaching conference call, “and our game eroded. This was obvious from the last couple of games.”
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Bleepin’ Tortorella
by Paul on 02/24/09 at 05:47 AM ET
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from The Good, The Bad And The Duthie,
The night John Tortorella was hired by TSN, I made a confession to him. I told him I had always secretly hoped he’d be fired by Tampa, just so we might get a chance to bring him on the panel.
He swore at me. But he was smiling as he cursed.
No coach has ever brought me more amusement than Torts. His post-game news conferences were often better than the game.
“We need a BLEEP BLEEP occasional save. Four goals on 16 shots, I’m getting tired of the 25 percent rule.”
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
The moment John Tor torella walks through the door of the Ranger locker room today to take command, that will be the end of the excuses and that will be the end of the crutches for a team whose players sure didn’t seem very sorry to see Tom Renney go yesterday.
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Tortorella Official
by Paul on 02/23/09 at 07:39 PM ET
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via Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
The Rangers have hired John Tortorella to be their next head coach in the wake of this morning’s dismissal of Tom Renney.
GM Glen Sather made the announcement several hours after Renney’s dismissal this morning. Tortorella, who received a multiyear contract, was en route to New York tonight and likely would run tomorrow’s practice.
added 8:21pm, from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
There is little in the way of top-end talent coming through the Rangers system, which you can thank Sather for as well, and too much overpaid, underachieving weight on the big-league roster.
As one GM told ESPN.com on Monday, “Who’s going to take those contracts?”
That’s a recipe for misery at the NHL level, and it’s the stew Sather built.
If there was any accountability in the Rangers’ boardroom (and the fact Sather has managed to consistently squander Dolan’s money all these years suggests there is none), then the moment this season ends, the search will begin for someone who can make things right in a place that has gone so wrong, and will be wrong for a long time coming.
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Report- Tortorella Agrees To Coach The Rangers
by Paul on 02/23/09 at 02:20 PM ET
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via Bob McKenzie of TSN,
Sources say the New York Rangers and John Tortorella have an agreement in place that would make him the next head coach of the NHL team, but that the Tampa Bay Lightning have not yet been contacted for permission.
added 3:30pm, According to Steve Zipay, it is a multi-year deal and the Lightning want compensation.
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Tortorella Hopes To Be Coaching Soon
by Paul on 12/18/08 at 10:17 AM ET
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from Dan Rosen of NHL.com,
While he’s definitely trying to relax in his year away from the bench, Tortorella is hardly a homebody. He travels from Tampa to Toronto, where TSN’s studio is located, every Monday and doesn’t return home until Thursday or Friday.
“I go to a great city in Toronto that is nothing but hockey and that has kept me a little fulfilled without coaching,” Tortorella said. “It has kept me around the game and understanding the nuances of what is going on around the League.”
Three coaches have been fired this season, and two were replaced by out of work coaches like himself, but Tortorella tries not to think about the fate of current coaches around the League.
“I try not to because it’s so unfair and it’s a lousy way to live, but you have people talking to you and you hear this and that,” Tortorella said. “I think there are a lot of good people in this game and we all know it’s part of the business. I certainly don’t wish anything bad on people because a lot of them are good friends of mine. I am going to try to go about this the right way and if things happen than they are supposed to happen.”
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Afternoon Line
by Paul on 09/04/08 at 12:22 PM ET
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“I’ll be honest with you, I’m out of my mind already because I’m not preparing the team,” he said Thursday. “That’s all I know how to do. That’s all I want to do is prepare a hockey team. It’s tough now that I’m not doing that.”
-John Tortorella and you can read more from John at Lightning Strikes…
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Scratch Tortorella Off Islanders List
by Paul on 08/08/08 at 08:40 PM ET
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from Greg Logan of Newsday,
Former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella, who was viewed by many as the most high-profile and possibly most high-priced candidate for the Islanders’ head-coaching vacancy, apparently is out of the mix. Money isn’t a major issue for Isles owner Charles Wang, but there always was a question whether Tortorella and a team committed to long-term development plan were the right fit for each other.
Islanders general manager Garth Snow is expected to sharply narrow his long list of candidates over the weekend and reach a decision on a successor to Ted Nolan early next week, an NHL source said. When contacted by Newsday, Tortorella politely declined to comment on his role in the Isles’ search process.
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Tortorella’s Big Ticket
by Alanah McGinley on 07/27/08 at 12:32 AM ET
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From the Boston Herald,
The big ticket on the carousel of coaching candidates that Garth Snow is running this summer belongs to former Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella, who is scheduled to meet with the New York Islanders general manager today.
Because he stands to collect $1.3 million for the remaining year of his Lightning contract, Tortorella can well afford to be choosy about his next job. That salary is slightly more than twice as much as former Isles coach Ted Nolan was believed to be making, but that’s what a 2004 Stanley Cup victory will get you. The Lightning’s obligation to Tortorella would be offset by whatever salary he makes in a new job this season.
continued… plus notes on the Bruins
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Islanders Interested In Tortorella
by Paul on 07/19/08 at 06:59 AM ET
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from Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune,
Former Lightning coach John Tortorella could be in line to take over the vacant head coaching position with the New York Islanders.
The Islanders have contacted Tampa Bay seeking permission to speak to Tortorella, the Tribune has learned. The Lightning have granted the Islanders their request to talk to Tortorella.
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Lecavalier on John Tortorella
by Alanah McGinley on 06/11/08 at 09:59 AM ET
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From Damian Cristodero at the St. Petersburg Times,
He appreciated the on-ice structure Tortorella brought in seven seasons as Lightning coach and said, “Definitely he will have success. I don’t think he’ll have a tough time finding another job.”
Still, the superstar center said, there were times last season that Tortorella’s finger-to-chest style was difficult for some younger players to handle.
“He was very tough on young players,” Lecavalier said. “His emotions sometimes made it difficult. I’m not saying that in a bad way. That’s the type of coach he is. He is very aggressive, very emotional and very into the game.”
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A Polite Dismissal
by Alanah McGinley on 06/04/08 at 10:19 AM ET
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From Adam Proteau at The Hockey News:
I think comedian George Carlin is one of the great minds of our time. And one of my favorite bits of his centers around the needless softening/wimpification of language. That was on display again Tuesday, when the Tampa Bay Lightning sent out an e-mail announcing head coach (and preferred target of this space) John Tortorella “will not return” to the team.
I suppose it was just too hurtful to say the guy was dismissed. Perhaps the next franchise that fires a coach can do the Bolts one better and issue a press release that reads, “Coach X will be coaching the team next season (in spirit only).”
It’s funny that Proteau mentions this. When we first got the press release about the Tortorella story, it did make me pause for a moment.
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