Photo Credit: NHL.com
A 65-year-old in John Tortorella was sitting at the podium following an optional practice on Wednesday April 3, 2024. Flyers currently hold a playoff spot, but have also lost the last five games, to which Tortorella put the entire team on notice following Monday night’s drubbing a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders
“I guess now the narrative out there is because I’ve heard from other people, ‘They are young, they are not supposed to be here…Bulls–t, we are here. We are here,” Tortorella said. “Face it. And let’s be better. I don’t think we are ready to be better and that’s my problem with us right now. And it is my job. I have not done a good enough job to get them over the hump. After playing those seven games, and then each game as it goes down, we have six left, I haven’t done a good enough job to make them understand we have to be different now, we have to be at a different level. That’s my frustration with me and that’s my frustration with the team.”
Some people wanted John Tortorella to hold himself accountable, well here it is, in black and white above. He has passion, he is fiery, he is direct and blunt. What more can one ask for, especially when the Flyers have publicly announced they are in the midst of a rebuild.
“It always comes down to, Oh, they are going to quit on him,” Tortorella said. “It follows me around, and so be it. If a player is going to quit on me or players are going to quit on me because I’m trying to make them better people and better athletes, you have got the wrong damn coach here and you’ve got the wrong damn people here.”
Tortorella continues, “My job is I am going to push athletes. I have other things on my mind that I don’t give you. I was in control the other night. What I said I meant. And quite honestly, when I watch the tape now, I’m more concerned than just the second period. Because I’m so proud of the team getting here.”
Is he trying to reignite the team? Yes. Is he proud of the team’s overall success this season, since they are not supposed to be in the position they are? Yes. The two go hand-in-hand, but the team is playing meaningful games for once in April, which hasn’t been the case for the past three seasons at the very least. This is yet another good time to further evaluate the team, in a sense of, who stays and who goes when the team becomes a contender.
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