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Defending Torts
Posted By Erik Erlendsson at Oct 02, 2007 at 10:05 PM
Updated Oct 03, 2007 at 05:45 PM

Thought I would pass along this read. In case you missed it, The Hockey News took a poll of its writers/correspondents and John Tortorella was voted the coach most likely to be fired first this season. I think it’s at least the second time Tortorella has been voted to that claim, if not the third.

But I thought Sportsnet’s Jim Kelley has some very valid points, and Kelley was with the Buffalo News for years and knows Tortorella from his time with the Sabres organization. I whole heartedly agree with Kelley’s rationale here, having worked closely with Tortorella for the better part of the past seven years. He can be a grump and sometimes you wonder if he lives outside his world, but deep down the players respect him and he and GM Jay Feaster are on the same page.

Deep down, Torts is a good man who is driven to do things the way he best sees fit and it can rub some people the wrong way (especially the Canadian media who characterize him as the ugly American sometimes). But you have to appreciate and respect his ability to not let any outside influences affect what he thinks is best. Does it always work? No (as the whole John Grahame experiment shows), but it works out more often than not. Do the players always like it? No, these are adults after all and sometimes they must feel like they are still adolescents living at home, but one thing Tortorella is is fair. That point can’t be argued.

Send Us Your Comments

Posted by Fred Tyler, Bradenton on 10/04 at 08:44 AM

As far as Torts berating his players, I think that he has the right to do just that. I expect my boss to let me know when I am not meeting his expectations because, like the players, I am a professional. Does it matter if he does it in private? Was it some big secret that Denis was horrible last year? It’s not like Torts is calling them names; all I have heard him do is question their preparation or dedication to the team. These are grown men whose huge paychecks make them, in part, celebrities. Part of being a celebrity is that you are going to be in the public eye. Does it work with all players? Probably not. Maybe the players should do what a lot of us do to avoid the scorn of our boss: do their job! Go Bolts!

Posted by Mike Joyce, Bangkok, Thailand on 10/04 at 02:48 AM

I agree with Ken about Torts treating the players like adults. The key issue is “accountability” which had been lacking with other coaches before Torts. Scotty Bowman was much the same in that respect. If you didn’t play to your potential, or for the best interests of the team, you sat out. When he sent Andre Roy to the dressing room early, it didn’t stop Andre from coming back here from Pittsburgh and working on his demons.

Torts seems to have the respect or the players, who know when someone is hurting the team.

Posted by Ken Knaebel, St. Petersburg on 10/03 at 01:52 PM

I would have to disagree with Ruthe. When Torts expresses his pleasure or displeasure with their attitude or preparation, he is treating them as adults. If he was to coddle them and always talk nicely to them, he’d be treating them as children. John Grahame failed in his job and that failed his team greatly. He’s not solely to blame, but he carries his fair share of responsibility. I would consider Torts disrespectful if he vented through the media without discussing it with the players first.

Posted by Fred Tyler, Bradenton on 10/03 at 09:04 AM

Anything written by the Hockey News has to be taken with a grain of salt. I took them off my “favorites” list after reading their online articles for three years because of their ridiculous pro-Canadian bias towards teams. While the poll that picked Torts to be fired first was compiled from folks outside of the News, I have a feeling that the majority of the respondents worked there. I realize that I have my own pro-Bolts agenda, but these guys have also ripped the entire Southeast Division for the past few years. If you want some proof of what I am talking about, check out Adam Proteau’s (chief hater) preseason article about our division. Check it out here: http://www.thehockeynews.com/en/columnist/detail.asp?columnist=290

Posted by Mike Joyce, Bangkok, Thailand on 10/03 at 04:09 AM

I think that Torts is one of the best coaches in the game. Look what he did for Vinny when Vinny thought he was God’s gift to hockey. He has always been honest and sincere.

So what if he is difficult for people outside of the organization. His passion has changed the team to be a contender, and a winner. If it weren’t for his leadership, I wouldn’t fly over 40,000 miles a year to see the Bolts play.

Go Bolts.

Posted by Ruthe Robertson, St Petersburg on 10/02 at 11:04 PM

OK, so Torts is fair but he sure doesn’t treat the players as adults. Maybe he tries to get the best out of them but they are still NHL players and deserve to be treated as such. That back up goalie in Raleigh is looking pretty good. Why, because the coach there supports him, he doesn’t blame him when the defense lets him down and the fans, for the most part, support him. Grahame will never be a starting goalie because he was partly to blame also, never making that committment to being a starter. But he did not deserve the treatment he got from Torts. The whole team was to blame. Just saying, maybe Torts should back off a little. Good luck to the Bolts this year.