Why John Tortorella remains the right coach for the Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella

Credit: Oct 22, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella leaves the bench after loss to Washington Capitals at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

There aren’t many more polarizing figures in the NHL since the turn of the millennium than Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella. Never one to mince words with the media or hold back when calling out one of his players, Tortorella has always found a way to keep himself (and his team) relevant in the hockey world.

When he was hired by the Flyers in 2022, one of the things Tortorella instantly did for the organization was bring it back to relevancy. As the fifth bench boss in four years, Tortorella jumped on a moving train heading for derailment – on and off the ice.

A lot has changed in Philadelphia since Tortorella’s arrival. Former president of hockey operations and general manager Chuck Fletcher was replaced by Keith Jones and Daniel Briere, respectively, while former Comcast Spectacor CEO and chairman Dave Scott stepped aside for Dan Hilferty. Valerie Camillo, who oversaw the business side and Wells Fargo center, has also since moved on.

So much has changed in and around the Flyers organization over the last two and a half years, but one thing has remained the same: Tortorella manning the bench.

Aside from roster construction, the coaching staff is typically the last thing put into place during an organizational overhaul; in the Flyers’ case, it was the reverse. Why, despite all the turnover within the organization, has Tortorella been able to last? Despite no playoff appearances and the Flyers’ season spiralling out of control late last season, Tortorella, still to this day, has been immune from being on the hot seat for losing his job. Why is he still, in the eyes of Flyers management, the right guy for the job?

The Flyers embarked on an unprecedented path roughly two years ago: embracing a rebuild. For a team that has always preached being competitive, openly and publicly committing to a rebuild represented unchartered waters. While Fletcher hedged on the idea of a rebuild in his final months as GM with moves geared towards culture and the future, it was Tortorella’s actions and public comments about the state of the roster and franchise that spearheaded the Flyers’ organizational acceptance of needing to recalibrate. Tortorella has bought into the rebuild from day one and continues to do so; for an ultra competitive coach with the pedigree he has, remaining on board with the organizational philosophy has been crucial for the Flyers.

Tortorella can be hard on guys, but he is not one to play favorites – almost to a fault. No matter the age of a player, contract status or tenure with the club, you always know where you stand with Tortorella and are treated based on merit. Just ask team captain Sean Couturier, who was the victim of Tortorella’s wrath last season when he wound up in the press box as a healthy scratch. Some may (justifiably) say it was a step too far by Tortorella based on Couturier’s organizational status, but the move was arguably warranted based on merit of play. Star rookie Matvei Michkov also found himself on the outside looking in for two games earlier this season. While it was a largely criticized move by the media, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of it given Michkov’s play and production since the benching.

For a team not only rebuilding its roster but culture as well, Tortorella’s ability to teach younger players to be professionals is one that goes a long way. 4 Nations Faceoff team Canada selections Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim are prime examples of that, as both have seen their games and locker room presences improve drastically since Tortorella’s arrival. Once known as secondary, support players on the Flyers’ roster, both Konecny and Sanheim have emerged as top line and pairing guys, respectively, and have gotten league wide recognition for it.

Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen – a once maligned player trapped in a mediocre cycle since arriving in the NHL – has been vocal about Tortorella’s impact of helping turn his game around, while forward Owen Tippett, though having a slower year than anticipated, has blossomed under the Flyers’ bench boss.

Not all players can deal with it, as there are some guys on the roster who have taken longer roads than expected and others who are still working their way through things. An example of a player who clashed with Tortorella’s style is defenseman Ivan Provorov, who I’ve heard had difficulty with the former’s hard, head-on approach with players. Tortorella will challenge you and call out players who he thinks he can get more out of.

Not everything is positive when it comes to Tortorella, as there is a fair amount of criticism that is warranted to be chucked his way. Letting his emotions get the best of him is arguably the biggest one, as Tortorella has shown a tendency to “cut off his nose to spite his face” in the past. Translation: hurt the team to prove a point.

The most recent example of this is what happened with Konecny in Saturday’s game versus the Boston Bruins, when Tortorella benched his star forward at the end of the third period in overtime. The intention was to, once again, show that no player is above the team or being held accountable, but Konecny could’ve changed the outcome of the losing effort versus the Bruins had he not been benched. It will happen that Tortorella will cross a line that can result in a negative impact on the team.

After a slow start to the season, the Flyers have battled their way back into the playoff picture; had they gotten adequate goaltending earlier in the year they’d likely be in a playoff position. Sitting just one point back of a playoff spot, the Flyers have once again proven to be a resilient bunch under Tortorella – one of the many reasons why he is not going anywhere for the time being. It isn’t always the smoothest of roads, but Tortorella continues to squeeze what he can out of a team that is learning to be professionals and beginning to round the corner out of a rebuild. Whether everyone agrees with his tactics is besides the point, because as long as the Flyers continue to move forward organizationally, Tortorella will continue to have the support of his superiors.

Jamie Drysdale impresses in his return

After missing close to a month due to injury, defenseman Jamie Drysdale returned to the Flyers’ lineup Sunday night versus the Utah Hockey Club. Logging just under 19 minutes of time on ice, it was arguably Drysdale’s best performance of the season.

It has not been an easy transition for Drysdale since arriving from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Cutter Gauthier. Between injuries and subpar play, Drysdale has not lived up to the hype that many pundits (and I’d venture to guess those in Flyers management) had for him. As someone who can play with a lot of swagger and confidence, Drysdale has struggled to display that on a consistent basis in Philadelphia.

As we just talked about, playing for Tortorella can be intimidating, and I’m sure that has played a factor in Drysdale’s struggles. Showing up on a Flyers’ blueline in desperate need of an offensive minded, power play quarterback, the pressure was there for Drysdale – to say nothing of whom he was traded for. But now almost a year removed from the blockbuster deal and playing under Tortorella, I’m sure the nerves will begin to recede for Drysdale.

Emil Andrae’s emergence as a top four power play defenseman must have certainly sparked something for Drysdale, as the former blossomed in the latter’s absence. Andrae poses direct competition for Drysdale as the go-to guy on the man advantage, which can create healthy competition between the two; you never want players – especially young ones – to get too comfortable.

Do I think Drysdale will become the guy many expected him to develop into once upon a time? Doubtful, and I think the Flyers have accepted it as a possibility, too. But if he can play like he did on Sunday, he will surely be able to carve out a significant role on the back end for the foreseeable future.

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Why John Tortorella remains the right coach for the Philadelphia Flyers

Jamie Drysdale impresses in his return

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