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The Philadelphia Flyers cut ties with head coach John Tortorella on Thursday morning in a move that many found surprising, but that Tortorella himself may well have necessitated. The 66-year-old, who ranks ninth all-time in NHL wins as head coach, was brought in to fix the Flyers culture amid a decade of impotence. However, in his third season with the team, Tortorella was just 1-8-1 in his last 10 games and the Flyers have the fourth-worst win percentage in the entire league.
After consecutive drubbings by lowly Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs, both of which netted seven goals, Tortorella was asked what went wrong with his team this season. His answer may well be the reason that he currently finds himself unemployed.
“When you’re in this type of situation and you’re losing all the time, and there’s nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there’s certainly going to be some frustration,” Tortorella said. “But, this falls on me. I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now.
Philadelphia Flyers Front Office Puts Stamp On Team With John Tortorella Firing
Not really interested?! John, buddy, that’s the reason you’re here. Notably, however, current Flyers general manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones did not hire Tortorella in 2022. That move was made by then-general manager Chuck Fletcher, who was fired just one year later. Fletcher made it a point that the Flyers would not bottom out and tank in order to acquire elite talent.
Now it appears that the organization could well be ready to head in an opposite direction. Philadelphia traded veteran center Scott Laughton at the trade deadline for a first-round pick and prospect. It currently holds the fourth-best NHL lottery odds and without a major addition this offseason, the Flyers will likely struggle mightily again in 2024-25.
Briere and Jones keep their cards close to their vest. But with the Tortorella firing and other roster moves, it looks as if the Flyers may well have admitted defeat and be preparing to tank in the season(s) to come. And with a general prospect in Gavin McKenna available in the 2026 NHL Draft, the timing could well be perfect.