Articles by Kevin Durso (5321)
The Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup win in 2022 is an achievement that is a long time coming, a process that played out with a franchise icon leading the way at the top and started with another behind the bench, only to be placed in the hands of a hockey journeyman who rose through the coaching ranks. It’s also an achievement for the players who were around for the entire process, which included as many low points as it did the highest moments that were reached in this championship season.
John Tortorella certainly knew all the right things to say, but doesn’t have much of a filter. What you see is what you get with him, there’s no gray area. That hardly appears to be the case with Flyers management. There’s a lot of gray area right now, in terms of making decisions, who is on board with what, and what the future may hold.
John Tortorella has been around long enough in the league to have seen many elements of coaching evolve. That includes communication between players and coaches and how to effectively make the connection between the “two-way street” to have a strong working relationship.
At his introductory press conference, John Tortorella recalled thinking about what an opportunity to coach in Philadelphia would be like as far back as the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. Now he gets that opportunity, trying to restore a standard for the Orange and Black emblem that he expressed great respect for on Friday.
If you were wondering just what the Flyers were going to try to do with this offseason or questioning if they were serious about an aggressive approach, you got your answer on Thursday. Tortorella is only the first piece of what could be a very busy offseason that features equally as many changes and moves as the last, likely even more aggressive than ever before.
The Flyers have hired John Tortorella as the 23rd head coach in franchise history.
ESPN and NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes reported on Tuesday night that the Flyers have offered the head coaching position to John Tortorella. Weekes reported that the deal is not done, but negotiations are in the late stages.
On Tuesday afternoon, it was first reported by Kevin Weekes of ESPN and NHL Network that Bruce Cassidy will become the next head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights. So what does this mean for the Flyers in their coaching search?
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, finalists for the Flyers head coaching position are believed to include Barry Trotz and John Tortorella. Crossing Broad’s Anthony SanFilippo also reported that Peter DeBoer is also a finalist.
As Bruce Cassidy enters the coaching free-agent market, more names of interest are entering the Flyers coaching search.