Mackcanuck Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 John Tortorella was on Tampa Bay’s 620 WDAE on Friday morning. On his personality and if he’s changed as a person/coach since the days when he was coaching the Lightning: "Yeah, I think you mature along the way. Again, listen – I know I make my own bed on some of these different things that happened. You’re talking to a guy that went down a hallway after another coach last year, which was just so, so across the line and so embarrassing to my organization and my team. “But it’s the emotion. And that’s what you’re asking about. The emotion of it. Yeah, and you live and die by the sword a little bit there. I think I’ve controlled myself more. I really worked at that last year in Vancouver. That was really one of the bad spots of my season, when I did that. That’s a long story in my mindset there, but as far as dealing with the media and trying to work with them, I’ve really worked at that. Because it’s almost become that’s what was defining me as a coach. And I told the guys – and a really good group of guys out there in Vancouver too - ‘I want to work with you. I don’t want this to be something we’re always talking about. ‘ “And I thought that went really well, as far as our relationship. So yeah, you’re ever-evolving. And I’m doing it now. As I sit here and watch and I watch other coaches. I watch their philosophies. You’re always trying to learn. “Listen. I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way and I’ll make more, if I have an opportunity to coach again. But as long as you’re trying to learn and be better, that’s the way I look at it.” On how he always had tremendous respect from his players, and they always enjoyed playing for him: “You know, there are a lot of things said about me with players and all of these different types of things that people think about, but they really don’t know. “Like that group of players in Vancouver, I really enjoyed. We had a great first half. But I don’t think I did the job for the team the second half with our consistency and I think that’s what cost me my job, is we just couldn’t stop the losing streaks. We needed to win a couple of games within those areas. And quite honestly, I deserved to get fired after that second half of the year. “But as far as the players, it’s an open communication. And listen, I’m going to be hard at times. It is my job to push athletes to be the best they can be. Sometimes where they don’t even think they can get to. But I’m always going to listen to them too. And I tell you, as I sit here today talking to you guys, that’s what I miss most. Is that. Is being in the room and seeing what the personalities are. Them coming back at me if they don’t like what they heard from me. And that’s how you develop the relationships. “And I had some strong ones out there in Vancouver. And along with the other teams too. I think there’s a little bit of misperception, but nothing I can do about that. “But I tell you. I miss that part of it terribly, is being in the locker room with that team. Those teams.” http://www.nicholsonhockey.com/worthreading/2015/2/13/tortorella-quite-honestly-i-deserved-to-get-fired-by-canucks 2nd half On what it’s like for a coach to hit the reset button with a year off: "It gives me an opportunity to step back and watch a lot of games. One thing that I’ve kind of jumped into with all this new talk about analytics; myself and Mike Sullivan are analyzing every goal scored last year and last year’s season, 5-on-5 goals, and trying to figure out an analytics package that will help. Not just what’s out there, which is some good stuff, but trying to do our own little thing there. So that’s kind of kept us busy and kept us in the game as we’ve gone along the way here.” On Charles Barkley’s comments on analytics compared with a gut feeling, and if analytics are a tool – or if you still coach from your gut based on what experience tells you: “It’s a great question, and it’s great how you put it because when I was with my staff last year, and all of this has kind of bombarded us a little bit... We had a really good analytic package. We had a guy, Jonathan Wall in Vancouver, and some really good stuff analytic-wise. “But this is not baseball. And I think this is kind of where it grew from. You have to be really careful not to let it control you in analyzing players, analyzing your team. I think it helps you in a lot of different areas to maybe affirm some things or maybe you have you look at an area you may improve. But if you lose your stomach when you’re coaching in the National Hockey League or the game of hockey, I just don’t know if that’s the proper way of going about it. “Listen to me. I’m without a job right now. So who am I? “But that’s just the way I feel about it, and I feel strongly about that. You can’t lose your stomach as you go through this because this is a different-type game. It’s just so creative. You don’t want to get locked in on numbers all the time. And to me, the best analytic is – and it tells the story of the game – are scoring chances for and against when you analyze those the next day as far as what your team did in those areas. Because you’ll learn a lot about all the areas of the game through those scoring chances for and against.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Am.Ironman Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 He had such a good relationship with the team that he didn't even need to show up to practices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLocke Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Torts wants us to be his valentine it seems like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Weise didn't seem to happy playing for him.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigturk8 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Torts wants us to be his valentine it seems like. I think Torts wants another job, but I'll consider being his valentine if he spends some of that unearned money on me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mathew Barzal Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I think the guy is just thinking along a different wavelength when it comes to what kind of relationships need to be had with the players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clutesi Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I'm trying to forget last year like a bad nightmare. He wanted buy out Burrows, he totally misread Weiss and treated him badly, he rode Lack into the ground along with the Sedins. The only way he could make it better is if he became Boston's coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riviera82 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Torts talks a good game, unfortunately for him though, he doesn't coach one anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Sounds more like a politician trying to make himself sound not as bad as he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberz21 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 John Torterella is the Mike Keenan of this era. If Keenan had 9 lives in the NHL, well Torterella still have many to go. Do I want him back, NO! Do I think he deserves to be back, not really. But I can pretty much guarantee that Torts will coach an NHL team in the futur. Someone will give him a chance, someday. If Ted Nolan was brought back in the NHL after what, 10-15 years. I'm pretty sure Torts will be back someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Thanks for kick starting the retool Torts! Wouldn't have been possible without you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-SN- Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 They really lobbed him some softballs there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 He's correct, last year the first half was alright. But that was because he played the bejesus out of the Sedins and they weren't spring chickens anymore. He did the same thing in TB with Lecavalier, St. Louis and Dan Boyle, 30mins a game it seemed, but they were younger. He overestimated the Sedins' ability to get something similar done. The season collapsed when the Sedins collapsed. So in comes WD and a 4-line approach, to make up for the decline. Makes more sense unless we want them banged-up every season for $7mil a pop. Does he think he's coming back? Scoring chances for and against... Is there stats kept on that? I don't think every sog counts as a scoring chance. Even close ones can be pretty awful attempts. This is kinda why looking at shot-based numbers and not the context could lead to some false conclusions. Anyway, every stat is a tool to use, but I see false conclusions being made all the time using these tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mind Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 First quote he says he thinks he's matured along the way. Yet he went after Bob Hartley just last year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastal.view Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 First quote he says he thinks he's matured along the way. Yet he went after Bob Hartley just last year... the more i think about this incident the more it just sums up torts for me he does what he wants when he wants he has little reflection or perspective of himself in the moment and now he thinks he can spin it and soft sell it if he was a rookie coach mabye this could be overlooked but he is a seasoned and veteran coach it really shows what he is all about and that is when he lost the players and the room they seemed to accept he is a bit of a clown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dasein Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 On Charles Barkley’s comments on analytics compared with a gut feeling, and if analytics are a tool – or if you still coach from your gut based on what experience tells you: “But that’s just the way I feel about it, and I feel strongly about that. You can’t lose your stomach as you go through this because this is a different-type game. It’s just so creative. You don’t want to get locked in on numbers all the time. And to me, the best analytic is – and it tells the story of the game – are scoring chances for and against when you analyze those the next day as far as what your team did in those areas. Because you’ll learn a lot about all the areas of the game through those scoring chances for and against.” That I agree with Case in point where a coach didn't follow his guts/common sense: Horachek puts Bernier back in after he came back from stitches (TOR was losing when Bernier cut himself) when TOR scored to take the lead with Reimer in net - Bernier extends the Leafs' losing streak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJDDawg Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 He had such a good relationship with the team that he didn't even need to show up to practices That. And the fact that he talked to Burr directly just once all season, and couldn't be bothered to even pick up the phone once to talk to Travis Green in Utica. Add to this the fiasco of trying to enter the Flames locker room and the benching of Lui in the Heritage Classic and he fully deserved to be fired last year. He once again (as with the NYR) became a sideshow and THE story that dominated all the headlines. I was just mentally exhausted by the end of the season with all that drama. So glad he's gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladeen Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 I think Torts wants another job, but I'll consider being his valentine if he spends some of that unearned money on me I Believe that's called prostitution Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 the more i think about this incident the more it just sums up torts for me he does what he wants when he wants he has little reflection or perspective of himself in the moment and now he thinks he can spin it and soft sell it if he was a rookie coach mabye this could be overlooked but he is a seasoned and veteran coach it really shows what he is all about and that is when he lost the players and the room the seemed to accept he is a bit of a clown Tortorella sucks he went after Bob Hartley and got the twins hurt he's in Tampa now we paid him big bucks to leave he's not coming back Willie Desjardins is a hero now because Bo Horvat is God too bad Dale Weise left he would have brought us the cup Tortorella sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poetica Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Wow. Someone's trying to put himself out there in hopes of getting another job. But anyone with any sense (or access to Google) should know what a load of horse dung that is. He didn't build relationships with our players. He didn't even talk to half of them. He didn't show up for practices. And he certainly didn't give a crap about them as people with feelings, as evidenced in how he treated numerous players. They were nothing more than chess pieces for him. And he wasn't even good at chess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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