Should The Columbus Blue Jackets Fire John Tortorella?

Thursday, January 28, 2021

John Tortorella is an eccentric character who wears his heart on his sleeve. He's a no-nonsense type of coach. Whether you love him or you hate him, at least you know where you stand. Tortorella was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets shortly after the beginning of the 2016-16 season. Is it time for him to go?

Tortorella has done and said lots of things before being hired by the Blue Jackets. He's addressed it and spoke extensively about it. It doesn't need to be brought up. Let's focus specifically on his tenure with the Blue Jackets.

A number of high end players have left the Blue Jackets organization on Tortorella's watch. Is that his fault? Maybe, maybe not, but it's a fact. Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovski, Matt Duchene, and Pierre-Luc Dubois immediately come to mind when we think of the players who have come and gone in recent years. 

Additionally, his treatment of players has been seen as unfair by many. Its not uncommon for coaches to call out specific players in the media, but Torts publicly compared Matt Calvert's play to a toilet seat in 2018. He constantly ripped on Anthony Duclair and publicly stated "I don't think he knows how to play". After leaving the Blue Jackets for the Senators, Duclair had an outstanding season. His public feud with Dubois is also one for the ages.

Despite these accusations, there are plenty of reasons why Tortorella deserves to remain the head coach of the Blue Jackets. First, he won the Jack Adams Trophy for the league's best coach in 2016 (also won in 2004) and was named a finalist in 2017 and 2020. The Jackets have made the playoffs four years in a row and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs of in the qualifying round of the 2020 playoffs. They were expected to miss the playoffs after the departure of three star players, but Tortorella was able to steer the ship. They're currently in second place of the Central Division and their expectations are high for this season.

Lastly, Tortorella may call players out in the media, but he protects his players from the media just as much. Many give him a bad rap for his behavior during press conferences, but he's the ultimate advocate for his players and team. He called out the officiating during the playoffs knowing full well that he would be fined. He refuses to answer questions about the game after a loss and simply says "we stunk". Many players who have been coached by Tortorella have recently made public their positive views of him. Montreal Canadiens' Josh Anderson came to his rescue and former NHL'er Jody Shelley spoke about how much he loved playing for Torts on the Spittin Chiclets Podcast. The public perception of Tortorella is not necessarily the case in the dressing room.
Photographer: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire 
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