10 observations from John Tortorella’s first Flyers media availability - extensive street Hockey

After a number of days of rumors and hearsay, John Tortorella is now formally the head educate of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers introduced the hiring Friday morning.

"i am very happy to bring in John to be the next head teach and voice at the back of the bench of the Flyers," pointed out Flyers well-known supervisor Chuck Fletcher in a unencumber. "John demands the most efficient out of his gamers each video game. he's a Stanley Cup champion and has a lengthy song record of both general season and playoff success. right through the interview process we mentioned a couple of factors which are important to deliver this crew instant success and it became clear to me that his imaginative and prescient and style makes him the correct grownup to fix a successful atmosphere to our locker room."

Hours after the hiring turned into officially announced, Tortorella met with the media for the primary time as head teach of the Flyers. There's a great deal to unpack from Tortorella's first media availability, so we broke down the key highlights under.

Tortorella has been attracted to teaching the Flyers for years

Torts has viewed loads of the Flyers given that first breaking into the NHL. in any case, he's spent ingredients of 12 seasons teaching division competitors of the Flyers between the new york Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. however from afar, Torts has all the time admired the franchise and its culture.

"returned in '04, once we have been lucky ample — i used to be teaching Tampa — and we went via Philly to win a Stanley Cup, beating Philly in the conference finals, I bear in mind telling my spouse, and that i informed Chuck this story, "Man, this is a spot i might love an opportunity to be and educate," said Tortorella. "The ardour of the americans, the building, every little thing concerning the city, it truly — it turned into truly neat for me.

"I remember in my first meeting with Chuck, after we started this, he wore a shirt with the brand, and i spoke of, "Man, that's the place I wish to be."

during his media availability, Tortorella turned into visibly elated about joining the Flyers. And for him, it changed into interestingly a long time coming.

It makes sense, too. Tortorella has a great deal in average with the metropolis of concord. He's an outspoken, hard-nosed educate who's under no circumstances been afraid to voice his opinions to any person. In Philadelphia, he should healthy right in.

Tortorella is demanding, and that turned into certainly one of his most attractive features

The Flyers had been very thorough of their head teaching search, and that they had a good quantity of candidates to make a choice from. but Tortorella stood out amongst the pack, and he fit the mold the Flyers had been hunting for in their new bench boss to a tee.

Fletcher study a list of characteristics the Flyers ideally wanted their next head train to possess — experience teaching within the NHL, a music checklist of success, the capability to implement shielding structure and, of direction, "the confirmed means to dangle players in charge to a excessive common."

If there's one thing that's plagued the Flyers in fresh seasons, it's been the group's standard lack of accountability. With Torts in town, that is going to change automatically. He's made a career of being an instantaneous, traumatic teach, and Fletcher believes Torts is the right adult to put in force that classification of dynamic in the locker room.

"I suppose deep down, there are a lot of annoying coaches within the NHL," observed Fletcher. "in the end, avid gamers will respond in the event that they be aware of you're annoying, however you're worrying in a way that you simply care about them. You need what's most fulfilling for them. You're not being worrying for yourself, you're being worrying to make the participant more suitable, to make the crew stronger. and no-one personifies that greater than John Tortorella."

Predictably, constitution is awfully an awful lot a huge focal point for Tortorella

surprise, shock.

This has turn into one of Tortorella's calling cards as a head coach, and it's whatever thing the Flyers desperately need. Flyers defenders had been caught out of place a ways too commonly this season, and that lack of structure within the protective zone resulted in some miserably embarrassing goals towards.

Like this one, as an example:

Yeah. no longer decent. however optimistically that won't turn up again for a long time.

For more advantageous or for worse, Tortorella goes to place a enormous amount of center of attention into stiffening up the Flyers' play within the D-zone. yes, the Flyers have a ton of areas that need improvement, but the protective play that was exhibited all season long is much and away essentially the most glaring issue.

"You need constitution. I consider one of the crucial essential attributes of a head train is to discover and train the structure away from the puck, and i work at that," referred to Tortorella.

"I form of get coined as that protecting guy. that you may coin me any method you need, that you may say what you want about me. That's an immense a part of successful. As you see in the playoffs at this time, as you take heed to probably the most players speaking about it in the playoffs at this time, it's an incredible part of being who you wish to be, and that i feel it basically develops a typical of being a tough crew to play against."

protection comes first, however now not on the price of offense

Tortorella has on no account been known as an offensive man. He admitted as a good deal in his presser. but he's additionally no longer the type of protecting educate who's going to drive a Travis Konecny-class player to become a Selke finalist. at least not anymore.

That's anything that became a controversy all through his time in Columbus. Blue Jackets ahead Patrik Laine felt he had no "freedom" within the offensive zone beneath Tortorella, and his production suffered because of it.

Now, though, it seems Torts has learned to provide avid gamers a bit greater leash so long as they put in some semblance of actual effort faraway from the puck.

"I consider you ought to get out of the way. I do think we over-instruct at times. It's some thing that I are trying to assess myself every day as I'm dealing with the players, exceptionally in the offensive a part of the video game.

"I don't have the skill or the sight that offensive americans have or the creativity that they've. I need to permit them to play. nevertheless it's gonna be a two-method highway. It must be a two-method street. simply demonstrate me that you simply're willing to supply us anything faraway from the puck — not gonna flip you right into a checker — however you've gotta show me, and extra importantly reveal your teammates, that you're inclined to do one of the vital different stuff as an offensive guy faraway from the puck, then you have some thing. and that i feel that's what develops the appropriate camaraderie of a hockey membership."

Carter Hart is going to tremendously benefit from the new gadget

The Flyers had too many problems to count this season, but the beneath commonplace goaltending changed into greater a symptom of the problem than the difficulty itself.

Carter Hart's numbers (3.sixteen GAA, .905 SV%) may also seem gruesome, however he become one of the vital main explanation why the Flyers won as many games as they did. appear no further than his outstanding forty-retailer performance towards the Carolina Hurricanes in November as facts.

Hart could no longer be the eventual Vezina candidate many were hoping he'd be when he was a teenager, but he's nonetheless a great goalie who's had the misfortune of enjoying on a team with fully no protective structure.

That received't be the case a whole lot longer.

"I do believe the first issue so far as on-ice that I deserve to attack is the play faraway from the puck," spoke of Tortorella. "I believe we should supply Carter a little bit extra help as far as how we play around him. enable him to in fact get himself into the country wide Hockey League. He's 23 — 23 as a goalie. and that i'm no longer gonna supply any criticisms to his prior play, however here is how you go about it."

The Flyers aren't going to be a punching bag anymore

in an effort to play more desirable defense and, in turn, make lifestyles less demanding for Hart, constitution and self-discipline are going to be key for Tortorella's Flyers.

however that's not limited simply to their play on the ice.

Too time and again this season, the Flyers had been defeated earlier than they even entered the enviornment. They'd begin a video game looking gradual, and as soon as they allowed a single goal, every thing got here crumbling down. That angle cursed them all the way through the year, and Tortorella is smartly aware about it.

"final analysis is, I want the crew to be tough. I think we should existing ourselves, seem to be tougher coming off the bus, coming into structures. I want different teams to assert, 'You recognize what, we've bought our palms full tonight.'"

the times of the Flyers being run over night in and evening out are over — as a minimum that's Tortorella's hope. the 10 or eleven-video game losing streaks won't fly anymore. They won't be a perfect club, however they'll definitely be more resilient beneath their new head honcho.

"We've got to develop some skin," Torts pointed out.

Torts' relationship with Cam Atkinson wasn't always clean crusing

asked how the camaraderie in the locker room can positively have an impact on the influence of the 2022-23 season all the way through his conclusion-of-season presser, Cam Atkinson unpromptedly echoed a lesson he realized from Tortorella during his time in Columbus.

"It turned into a loopy year the place we played so many games and i felt like we didn't definitely have lots of practices, in particular with the Olympics, and no matter if the Olympics have been going to happen, that's why there have been so many games in such a short duration of time.

"I think all of it starts with follow. You practice how you play, and that's — principally after I became seasoned, I learned that from John Tortorella. He turned into superb in that aspect. There simply wasn't loads of apply instances, and it become difficult to definitely type of mould and gel as a bunch in case you're taking part in so many games because you can watch video and stuff but you could't actually get on the ice and do it."

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows between the two of them, notwithstanding.

"once I first acquired (to Columbus) Cam changed into being sat out. I'm no longer bound what happened," pointed out Tortorella. "Cam changed into stubborn. and i like his stubbornness. I believe players of that satisfactory of what he has to do within the size that he's, and what he has to do as a player in the country wide Hockey League and be a correct-notch player like he is, you gotta have that stubbornness.

"We went back and forth and it took us a long time, as a result of I asked for greater."

Atkinson and Tortorella might also have butt heads a time or two in Columbus, however sure doesn't appear like that's impacted Atkinson's fantastic view of his head coach — above all on account that his response to the hiring on Twitter.

There's "extra there" in Kevin Hayes

in response to Torts, Kevin Hayes became one of the crucial first players he referred to as after being named head train of the Flyers. each he and Hayes are natives of Boston, but they don't understand each and every different very well for my part.

As a participant, even though, Tortorella knows an awful lot about Hayes, and he thinks he can get extra out of him.

"I'm really interested in speaking to Kevin. I feel Kevin is one that I'm anxious to work with because I suppose there's extra there. I consider he's a massive piece to the puzzle up the center of the ice for this company."

Hayes is coming off an exceptionally problematic season. He tragically misplaced his older brother Jimmy last August and neglected a major chunk of the season because of injuries. however after returning to the lineup in March, Hayes appeared focused and rejuvenated. Arguably no participant on the Flyers roster was acting at an improved level than Hayes in the season's homestretch, and if he can proceed playing at that degree, he and Sean Couturier could form fairly a dynamic duo of appropriate-six centers.

"I hear he's an incredible guy. I wish to are trying to support him, as a result of if i can assist him and make him remember that we're gonna are trying to get him to yet another level, what does he do for the Flyers organization up the core of the ice? I've watched him from afar, and there's greater there. And it's my accountability to try to get that out of him."

temper your expectations

yes, John Tortorella has a Stanley Cup title on his resume. Does that mean the Flyers are sure to compete for a title appropriate out of the gate?

completely not. And Tortorella admitted it upfront.

"I'm no longer gonna sit here and say that we're gonna be Stanley Cup contenders subsequent yr. I get that. i know there's some work to do," talked about Tortorella. "but having said that, i do know there's some work to do. That's what I want to do. That's what coaches do. I'm eager for the problem, and as I begun with my research on Chuck and as we've grown a little bit here, getting to understand one an additional, I'm in reality fascinated to do it with him."

Torts will work with Fletcher on roster strikes

This shouldn't come as a great deal of a surprise. Any rational everyday supervisor will take enter from their head instruct into consideration when constructing their team. It won't be any distinctive with the tandem of Fletcher and Tortorella.

"John, like every teach I've worked with, it's a collaborative method," noted Fletcher. "I believe it's basically vital to get their imaginative and prescient on the classification of roster they wish to instruct. ultimately it's my decision, but every manager takes under consideration how a coach wants to have the roster, the gold standard composition of your bottom six or anything it could be, so obviously there's gonna be lots of communication as we construct this together, but we're gonna nevertheless aggressively study each approach to get improved."