Interesting Info: Part XXI (Jackets-related "tidbits" here)

[Long Live Lyle]

Hmm

As I put in the game thread, it’s very odd considering Dubi was a replacement-level player (at best…) his last season yet Torts consistently played him in the Playoffs. And lots of guys clearly liked Torts. Wearing “Vote Torts” shirts, sharing the CBJ’s “thank you Torts” stories on their Instagrams… that goes beyond lying to the media when asked a question just to not rock the locker room.

It was clearly time to move on (for both parties) and I’m not even sure if Dubi is off on his assessment that this particular team would be playing really poorly with Torts but there are ways to make your point more by praising Lars rather than bashing Torts or acting like nobody liked him or implying that he sucked as a coach when that’s clearly not true. This continues my (as a fan) complicated love-hate relationship with Brandon Dubinsky.

 

[Cowumbus]

As I put in the game thread, it’s very odd considering Dubi was a replacement-level player (at best…) his last season yet Torts consistently played him in the Playoffs. And lots of guys clearly liked Torts. Wearing “Vote Torts” shirts, sharing the CBJ’s “thank you Torts” stories on their Instagrams… that goes beyond lying to the media when asked a question just to not rock the locker room.

It was clearly time to move on (for both parties) and I’m not even sure if Dubi is off on his assessment that this particular team would be playing really poorly with Torts but there are ways to make your point more by praising Lars rather than bashing Torts or acting like nobody liked him or implying that he sucked as a coach when that’s clearly not true. This continues my (as a fan) complicated love-hate relationship with Brandon Dubinsky.

Yep some guys may have like Torts, most didn’t. There have been numerous polls ranking Torts at the bottom of the coaches ‘you’d like to play for’ list. Torts bashes players now and gets paid for it, but Duby can’t put out a tweet?

 

[Long Live Lyle]

Yep some guys may have like Torts, most didn’t. There have been numerous polls ranking Torts at the bottom of the coaches ‘you’d like to play for’ list. Torts bashes players now and gets paid for it, but Duby can’t put out a tweet?

He was also near the top on the opposite end of that question. And that was a NHL-wide poll of players, the vast majority of which obviously never played for him.

Dubi can do whatever he wants, including Tweet, but it can also impact my opinion on him. I also didn’t always love Torts’s antics either, which also were a black mark against him, though I still love him.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

#pilingon

 

[Monstershockey]

John Scott would know. He played 6 whole games for Torts in an otherwise forgettable career, except for being an all star game joke.

 

[tunnelvision]

#pilingon

"John Tortorella steps down from the role of ESPN studio analyst"

#FireJarmo #FireJD

 

[Derby]

Just hoping he's okay. Has anyone spotted him at NWA?

Yes, I have seen him with his sons at the arena a few times. Why wouldn't he be "Okay?" Seemed fine, like a dad with the kiddos at a game.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

#pilingon

This was a completely different context. His podcast was about what all 32 teams in the league are thankful for and his comments were about when you play for torts that he is so intense that you sometimes feel like someone ie always looking over your shoulder. Now the team is able to relax and not worry about everything all the time. He didn't trash him. We all know he's an intense individual. He never lets up and that will wear on anyone and everyone over time. We all know this.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

John Scott would know. He played 6 whole games for Torts in an otherwise forgettable career, except for being an all star game joke.

I guess that doesn't allow him to have an opinion and first hand knowledge of how Torts works in a locker room with players. Say what you want but he has more knowledge of how Torts ran a team than any one of us on this board. especially back in those years. We know the "softer" Torts who was still an intense SOB. That wasn't always the case if you ask anyone with the NYR, Canucks or even Tampa.

 

[tunnelvision]

Yes, I have seen him with his sons at the arena a few times. Why wouldn't he be "Okay?" Seemed fine, like a dad with the kiddos at a game.

Because 1) I didn't know what other people here do know about the kids/family and what he's been doing after his retirement and 2) he had distanced himself from the organisation after retiring. From my limited perspective the decision to bash your former coach publicly seemed very strange. He wouldn't be the first pro athlete facing serious mental problems after playing career has come to an end.

But after reading these comments, that doesn't seem to be the case with him. Good to hear.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Because 1) I didn't know what other people here do know about the kids/family and what he's been doing after his retirement and 2) he had distanced himself from the organisation after retiring. From my limited perspective the decision to bash your former coach publicly seemed very strange. He wouldn't be the first pro athlete facing serious mental problems after playing career has come to an end.

But after reading these comments, that doesn't seem to be the case with him. Good to hear.

He literally distanced himself from the organization the day we were told he was going on LTIR with his wrist injury. I'm sure we'll never know the real story of what happened there. It seems easy to believe it was more than simply his wrist. He had 3 assists in the preseason and won 50% of the faceoffs before the announcement and then has never been mentioned by the organization since.

 

[Monstershockey]

I guess that doesn't allow him to have an opinion and first hand knowledge of how Torts works in a locker room with players. Say what you want but he has more knowledge of how Torts ran a team than any one of us on this board. especially back in those years. We know the "softer" Torts who was still an intense SOB. That wasn't always the case if you ask anyone with the NYR, Canucks or even Tampa.

He can have his opinion. Torts accomplished way more in his career than Scott, or even some of the players that bash him did. The guy helped put Columbus in the discussion of good teams, yet he has one really bad year and people here can't wait to post this kind of BS about him. So what, players didn't like him, he is among the winningest coaches of all time, and these people that bash him, or can't let it go and post this garbage, really look foolish. Columbus has a team right now that is exciting to watch, and every game deeper they get in the season, give us as fans hope that they turned it around quicker than we expected, and yet people feel they have to bash the last coach because of a bad season. It is stupid, and people need to move on.

 

[LJ7]

Yes Larsen is doing better than Torts would, Torts himself would probably tell you that. However Torts was crucial for Bjorkstrand and Werenski's development by having their introduction to the NHL be with a strong winning team. He also taught Larsen a lot. There's countless other things he's responsible for on this current team but I won't rattle them all off. Bottom line is his fingerprints are still all over this team in a very positive way.

Theres no need to take away from what Larsen is doing by making it about Torts. Like yeah no kidding he couldn't coach this team well, the roster doesn't fit him at all.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

Yes, I have seen him with his sons at the arena a few times. Why wouldn't he be "Okay?" Seemed fine, like a dad with the kiddos at a game.

what I got from that was he was concerned about his mental/brain health (cte). Hopefully he doesn’t go down the wisniewski route. That dude is off his rocker

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

He can have his opinion. Torts accomplished way more in his career than Scott, or even some of the players that bash him did. The guy helped put Columbus in the discussion of good teams, yet he has one really bad year and people here can't wait to post this kind of BS about him. So what, players didn't like him, he is among the winningest coaches of all time, and these people that bash him, or can't let it go and post this garbage, really look foolish. Columbus has a team right now that is exciting to watch, and every game deeper they get in the season, give us as fans hope that they turned it around quicker than we expected, and yet people feel they have to bash the last coach because of a bad season. It is stupid, and people need to move on.

I also don't think the truth is bashing anybody. I think it is the truth. Nobody has taken anything away from his accomplishments and we all knew Torts has a shelf life with teams. Was he crucial to this teams development? yes. Would this team be playing like they are now with him still as coach? no. It is an evolution and unfortunately like everywhere else he has been he was probably there 1 year too long.

He's still a great man who has accomplished a ton in the league and has done some important things but it doesn't change the fact his intensity doesn't have an off switch and perhaps sometimes it should.

 

[Monstershockey]

I also don't think the truth is bashing anybody. I think it is the truth. Nobody has taken anything away from his accomplishments and we all knew Torts has a shelf life with teams. Was he crucial to this teams development? yes. Would this team be playing like they are now with him still as coach? no. It is an evolution and unfortunately like everywhere else he has been he was probably there 1 year too long.

He's still a great man who has accomplished a ton in the league and has done some important things but it doesn't change the fact his intensity doesn't have an off switch and perhaps sometimes it should.

I agree with that. My point is, he is gone, people need to move on. I really don't think about Torts, or generally anyone else that is gone. This team looks promising so far, maybe with a little luck next year, they can take another step. I would rather look forward than back. Its ok to remember those seasons in the past, but to use this years success to take shots at people that are no longer here, to me, is just a waste of time.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Off topic question but did the nhl just scrap the reverse retro jerseys? I haven’t seen one team wear them and there’s no schedule out for them for us. But there is for the cannon jerseys

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Off topic question but did the nhl just scrap the reverse retro jerseys? I haven’t seen one team wear them and there’s no schedule out for them for us. But there is for the cannon jerseys

They were intended to be 1 year only. I asked over the summer in the blue line and was told there was no intention of ordering more reverse retro stuff.

 

[LJ7]

They were intended to be 1 year only. I asked over the summer in the blue line and was told there was no intention of ordering more reverse retro stuff.

Good. I liked the retro part but not the reverse part with ours

 

[Cowumbus]

Good. I liked the retro part but not the reverse part with ours

It wasn’t even the same jersey, which was stupid. No stinger on the shoulders, too many stars on the wrists, just a bad “replica.”

 

[majormajor]

It wasn’t even the same jersey, which was stupid. No stinger on the shoulders, too many stars on the wrists, just a bad “replica.”

It wasn't supposed to be the same, the retro part was taken lightly.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

It wasn't supposed to be the same, the retro part was taken lightly.

They definitely took the reverse part more seriously than the retro part.

 

[NotWendell]

They lost me at red. The only CBJ jersey I've never purchased.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Blue Jackets' Zach Werenski eating big minutes, adjusting well to being 'lead dog' on defense

Telling lines in the article.

“Zach has taken his game to another level, which is something we definitely expected,” Kekalainen said. “He’s really a hell of a player, but now he’s the lead dog. And you see how he’s handling it.
“When he told me that he felt like he was always in Jonesy’s shadow, I told him: ‘You were never there for me.'”

I think at least for the last year that Jones/Werenski pairing wasn't as rosy as we thought. It seems to be pretty telling how quickly he signed long term right after that trade went down.