Sunday: The Columbus Blue Jackets have made it official. Both Kekalainen and Tortorella released statements today.
From Kekalainen:
“Torts and I have had numerous discussions throughout the season, and we have agreed that the time is right for both he and the club to go different ways,” said Kekalainen (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti). “He is a great coach and his accomplishments with our club over the past six seasons speak for themselves. He has played an integral role in our success since his arrival, and we are extremely grateful for his passion and commitment to the Blue Jackets and our city. He was the right coach at the right time and helped us establish a standard that we will carry forward.”
From Tortorella:
“After discussion and consideration of the future direction of the team, Jarmo and I have come to a mutual agreement to part ways,” said Tortorella (via The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline). “I’d like to thank the Columbus Blue Jackets organization for the opportunity to coach this team and live in the great Columbus area. It has been a privilege to work with the players, coaches and hockey operations staff, which is one of the best in the League. Also, I want to thank the CBJ fans and the community for the support they’ve given the team and for the work of the CBJ family in support of the community. My family and I have loved living and working in the area. We have made life-long friends here, so we do feel considerable sadness, which is to be expected, when something so meaningful comes to an end. This is a great hockey community and I wish everyone here great success moving forward. Thank you again.”
Saturday: The Columbus Blue Jackets season has ended and so has John Tortorella’s tenure as head coach. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that Tortorella, whose contract expires at the end of this season, will not return for 2021-22.
Portzline adds that “all indications suggest” that the veteran coach wants to continue running a bench in the NHL, meaning there is suddenly a very experienced option on the market. Tortorella sits 12th on the all-time list for NHL games coached with 1,383. One more full season would put him into the top eight, passing Mike Keenan (1,386), Pat Quinn (1,400), Ron Wilson (1,401), and Dick Irvin (1,449). He has won the Jack Adams award twice, one of only four coaches to win it with two different teams.
It’s been six full seasons in Columbus, taking over in 2015-16 and leading the team to the postseason four times. This year has been very different though, with the Blue Jackets winning just 18 of 56 games and finishing behind the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings. It’s been a season full of headlines, with Pierre-Luc Dubois forcing his way out of Columbus, while Tortorella clashed with newcomers Patrik Laine and Max Domi. Big changes appear imminent for the Blue Jackets, who already sold off Nick Foligno and David Savard at the deadline, among others.
Though it has been clear for a while that Tortorella likely wasn’t being brought back, there has still been no official announcement from the team. Whenever it comes, there will be plenty of accolades heaped on Tortorella’s time in Columbus. His numbers for the organization dwarf the likes of Ken Hitchcock, Todd Richards and Dave King, the only three other coaches who have been behind the bench for at least 200 Columbus games. Tortorella’s time finishes with 447 games coached and a 227-166-54 record. He has been the coach in 31 of the team’s 41 postseason appearances.
As expected. Like Daryl Sutter, Torts antagonizing style eventually loses a locker room. 2019 was the year for them to go to the cup.
Keep him away from the New York Rangers.
This was long overdue. Torts survived on his name. He falls in to the category of Laviolette and vigneault. Nice names and track records but retreads
The *real* reason Torts won’t be back? “…finishing behind the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings.” Torts has re-invented himself a couple of times, but came up one short in CBJ. He’ll may very well want to coach another NHL team, but there may not be a fit anywhere for his style.
He does have a history with Drury and that USA connection
He has on with Patrick Roy and so dose Lafie
There you go, Ron Francis, your new coach awaits your call. :D
yeah never going to happen
Keep him and his attitude far away from an expansion team.
Watch Dolan bring Torts back to the Rangers
This was the first thought that crossed my mind. would jive with their want to be tougher mentality.
Then again, if ownership was upset about a press release about DoPS, can only the sound byte Torts could have provided
Torts to Buffalo is what’s needed. The roster needs his brand of coaching if they want to rid of the losing culture. Too much “nice people” coaching the Sabres. Roster needs a swift kick in the can!
Torts going into Buffalo to fix a big group of losers has reality television written all over it. As in the most spectacularly dramatic reality show ever seen. Then again it’s Buffalo, it might just be sad to watch.
I dunno, looks to me that they found their coach in Granato.
Why is this guy still getting jobs. He is a cancer to the locker room. There is a reason Dubois wanted out. I don’t blame him. Who wants to work for a boss that is a d!ck.
Dubois is a head case. Bad example.
Don’t get all the hate for a guy who brought more respectability to Columbus and coached the most successful period of the team’s young history.
Rumors of the Rangers targeting Eichel & Torts. That would be the equivalent of drafting Pelosi & McConnell for the same debate team. The Rangers need a reality show.
Eichel’s no-movement clause doesn’t kick in until after next season. I see the Sabres trading him before then because I don’t believe that they want to trade Eichel to the Rangers or Boston, the two teams that would be his preferred destination. They don’t want to be handcuffed on what they get in return. They’ll move him out before his clause kicks in & they’ll move him out west where he won’t come back to haunt them on a consistent basis
So Eichel to the Preds for Duchene?! ;)
Okay, we’ll throw in Arvidsson too. Not playing him anyway for some odd reason.
I haven’t heard anything regarding Torts, nor would I think they’d bring him on board.
if i was the rangers i’d stay away from eichel, yes he is dynamic when healthy but his neck issues is a major concern. also i hope the best for eichel and his neck issues get resolved and gets back to playing good hockey
If Brind’amour goes to Seattle with Francis then Tortorella could end up in Carolina to take less money of course. I see David Quinn done in New York and being possibly replaced by Turk Gallant..unless Brind’Amour stays then Seattle hires Turk…
and if my aunt had hair on her back she’d be my uncle
ESPN or Turner. Maybe Rogers. NHL Network at worst.
Although I agree with the notion above that Buffalo might need what he brings, I don’t see anyone touching him right now, he’ll end up back in media.
PS- Although part of me is intrigued by the idea of him becoming the assistant to his old assistant and playing the Tocchet role here in PGH.
Go to Arizona. bring some life to that fanbase with his antics
I bet his brother Tohn Jortorella will the head coach next year.
Someone should just hire him for the post and pre-game interviews. He doesn’t actually coach the players. Maybe he challenges the other coach to a brawl.
Laine is doing cartwheels right now
Par for the course. Torts gets immediate results, but loses ground and eventually the team.