Confirmed with Link: The new coach of the Philadelphia Flyers is John Tortorella

[Rebels57]

Vellucci is 56 years old (no spring chicken), never been a head coach in the NHL, only 5 years as a coach above the OHL level. Brought to the Hurricanes under known boring dud and awful evaluator, Ron Francis, left after he got canned.

People always conflate assistants with head coaches, as if they don't have 3000 examples across sports that it's not worth much. Mike Sullivan was Torts' long-time assistant, and he couldn't have been less like him as a head coach, besides being a bit ornery. I’m trying to figure out the appeal on paper.

The coaches they’ve interviewed is just confirmation rock bottom is yet to come.

Gimme the unknown over the proven-to-be-garbage unknown though lol

I'd still prefer Montgomery or even more "radical" choices like Gronborg, Hallam, etc. but they're not happening.

 

[Rebels57]

You'd think we have a black and white Jumbotron with the way some people are acting. Philadelphia is a world class city. The franchise has some faults, but they aren't bouncing checks. If a candidate for coach isn't up to a few challenges, he's not going to make it anywhere in the NHL.

A few challenges? This organization is standing at the threshold of hell. They are a dumpster fire with awful management, awful player development, an awful cap situation, a poor prospect pool, sagging attendance, a mascot as the face of the franchise, and no possible way to turn it around unless new leaders are brought in and do a rebuild.

Sounds like an appealing place to me!

 

[GKJ]

I brought this up earlier, what the f*** structure will Torts instill in this team? What kind of structure, if any, would he use that would get this team working to be a more proper team, lose less games, and score more goals? Scoring goals was a major issue for this team, especially with the PP, and we want to bring in someone who will probably not fix any of those issues?

And when it comes to accountability, if we're going by the majority of the team from last year, that will be half the team. Is he going to sit half the team? Double shift half the team to show them a lesson? Torts relies on tough love instead of actually making the players work on mistakes and be better for it. A structure where a player makes a mistake and then you're meant to stew in it instead of told how to fix this problem is old dino shit that we don't need in this league. A coach should be proactive with their players, with their problems and resolve it with them and have them resolve it with the team as well. But you know...

Team defense was a major problem too. There isn't anything on the team that isn't worth aggressively trying to fix other than the starting goaltender, who we're still only assuming would be better with a better structured defense in front of him.

 

[kyuss]

And yet here we are everyday. They don't need to promote someone from the concession stands. They'll get an NHL coach. They went too new with Hak, too experienced with AV, hopefully they Goldylocks this shit.

 

[freakydallas13]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally find myself not super invested in this coaching hire, mostly because I can't see any one coach making a difference in this team's future.

I think I'd rather they hire a bland terrible coach who will help the tank efforts, but who knows.

 

[Rebels57]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I personally find myself not super invested in this coaching hire, mostly because I can't see any one coach making a difference in this team's future.

I think I'd rather they hire a bland terrible coach who will help the tank efforts, but who knows.

There's few better tank commanders than Jeff Blashill.

 

[Larry44]

A few challenges? This organization is standing at the threshold of hell. They are a dumpster fire with awful management, awful player development, an awful cap situation, a poor prospect pool, sagging attendance, a mascot as the face of the franchise, and no possible way to turn it around unless new leaders are brought in and do a rebuild.

Sounds like an appealing place to me!

Just for clarity on the mascot thing, were you referring to Hayes, Risto or Gritty?

 

[Flyerfan4life]

There's few better tank commanders than Jeff Blashill.

Yeo enters chat..

 

[Magua]

It seems like they have interviewed basically everyone in this first round of interviews....which is a GOOD thing.

Who is everyone? Blashill, Vellucci, Tortorella, Quinn, Mueller? This is dumpster diving. Noxious smells galore. Acknowledging a few more we don't know about, this is everyone? Trotz and Cassidy types are all but assuredly not coming here, despite the mythologized ability of the Flyers to "get their guy." They haven't even interviewed, and if they do it's professional courtesy, no more. Name me one person they have interviewed that makes you cross your fingers.

Gimme the unknown over the proven-to-be-garbage unknown though lol

I mean, I guess. But then you get your Hakstols too. The one advantage of hiring someone on a short, cheap deal is you don't have to hem and haw over firing them, as you would a $25 million lush. We know this is just a bias for action race to the bottom, but it's human nature to want a glimmer of hope.

 

[deadhead]

Flyers have a nice base of talent, that a coach who knows how to work with young players could develop.
Especially if they move out Atkinson and JVR this summer.
What they lack are a couple top end young guys, but they should get one this summer.

The problem is they don't have the patience to allow guys like Attard to learn how to play NHL hockey, Brink to adjust to NHL speed, to give Zamula, Hogberg, Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers minutes at the NHL level to gauge and improve their game. And so on.

Bringing in JG at 29, on a mega-deal, gives you a short-term jump, but he's not enough to put this team over the hump, he couldn't do so in Calgary, why think he can do so here. You need to build a team, THEN add a key FA or two as the icing on the cake. But as the Phillies have discovered, big name FAs are not a substitute for growing your own.

If you bring in Torts, you're pretty much committed to bringing in some veteran patches and exiling some young players to LHV.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Team defense was a major problem too. There isn't anything on the team that isn't worth aggressively trying to fix other than the starting goaltender, who we're still only assuming would be better with a better structured defense in front of him.

First year with the Jackets (15-16), they had the 3rd highest GA in the league, which was the same number as the previous year, but they also scored 14 less goals and had 13 less team points from the previous year (14-15). Jackets were also in the bottom 10 for PP in 15-16.

In 16-17, the team did seem to score a good number of goals and they stopped getting scored on as much (6th in GF and 2nd least goals allowed), however, they were only 12th for PP.

Basically, when looking at the numbers, even if it may mean less goals for the Flyers, it does not answer the other several elephants in the room. It's like getting slashed with a sword and only using a small band aid on it. You may fix a small area, but you're bleeding out everywhere else with no stopping in site.

And lastly, I can't see how Torts being signed would bring more people back into the arena and sell more tickets. What part of Torts or the game he wants the Flyers to play would put butts back in seats? Torts solves nothing and instead starts to instill the outdated use of tough love for players.

Also, be prepared to see more injured players as a key staple of Torts hockey is to block f***ing everything.

If people want him around just for personality and post-game stuff, instead of actually improving, then you're watching f***ing hockey for all the wrong reasons. "He sucks as a coach, but it's so fun to watch him be a trainwreck off the ice!" Yeah, no, f*** that.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Flyers have a nice base of talent, that a coach who knows how to work with young players could develop.
Especially if they move out Atkinson and JVR this summer.
What they lack are a couple top end young guys, but they should get one this summer.

The problem is they don't have the patience to allow guys like Attard to learn how to play NHL hockey, Brink to adjust to NHL speed, to give Zamula, Hogberg, Foerster, Wisdom, Desnoyers minutes at the NHL level to gauge and improve their game. And so on.

Bringing in JG at 29, on a mega-deal, gives you a short-term jump, but he's not enough to put this team over the hump, he couldn't do so in Calgary, why think he can do so here. You need to build a team, THEN add a key FA or two as the icing on the cake. But as the Phillies have discovered, big name FAs are not a substitute for growing your own.

If you bring in Torts, you're pretty much committed to bringing in some veteran patches and exiling some young players to LHV.

You have spent years telling me the talent base is shit (and this is somehow not the fault of management), and that their development process is fine.

 

[ponder719]

Who is everyone? Blashill, Vellucci, Tortorella, Quinn, Mueller? This is dumpster diving. Noxious smells galore. Acknowledging a few more we don't know about, this is everyone? Trotz and Cassidy types are all but assuredly not coming here, despite the mythologized ability of the Flyers to "get their guy." They haven't even interviewed, and if they do it's professional courtesy, no more. Name me one person they have interviewed that makes you cross your fingers.

I'd be concerned about whether we've lost that ability under different management. My concern is that Sgt. Fletcher's Empty Brains Club Band absolutely will get their guy, because their guy is on that first list.

 

[captainpaxil]

I don’t think Torts is an inherently bad big picture hire. The issue is that the reasons why he would be good are not the reasons he would get hired.

Torts bringing structure and accountability is a good thing. This franchise needs that.

If you told me that Torts is paving the way for the next guy, I can dig with that. It’s the path to get there though is flawed because that’s not what the plan is. The plan is to take a step forward and contend in 2 years, and there isn’t a logical path for that to come to fruition because the organization lacks young, high-end talent.

Here's the thing. I think lapi is they're "next guy" or at least they plan on it being him but neither he nor they are ready to embrace a full on youth movement at this time. So what they are looking for is someone who can get the most out of the veteran players they have so they have value when they move them out while instilling discipline and accountability on the younger guys who are adjusting to being pros.
I think they'll be slow roasting a few guys who many including myself think would or should be in the NHL. Andre destroyer brink attard wisdom may not see much time under whoever they hire and then Fletcher brings them all in together as a sort of ace up his sleeve and really makes his own mark on the team.

 

[Fight4yourRight]

Who is everyone? Blashill, Vellucci, Tortorella, Quinn, Mueller? This is dumpster diving. Noxious smells galore. Acknowledging a few more we don't know about, this is everyone? Trotz and Cassidy types are all but assuredly not coming here, despite the mythologized ability of the Flyers to "get their guy." They haven't even interviewed, and if they do it's professional courtesy, no more. Name me one person they have interviewed that makes you cross your fingers.



I mean, I guess. But then you get your Hakstols too. The one advantage of hiring someone on a short, cheap deal is you don't have to hem and haw over firing them, as you would a $25 million lush. We know this is just a bias for action race to the bottom, but it's human nature to want a glimmer of hope.

Torts has been a free agent for quite some time now. Barring something that is not apparent re: his availability, why is Cuck giving this potential hire consideration now, and not before, if it was in fact “their guy” all along. The truth is, no one has wanted to hire Torts, except now, the Flyers. Cuck and co have zero f***ing plan and just make shit up along the way.

 

[renberg]

Some of the names that are out there as candidates for the HC aren't going to come here. Trotz? Cassidy? Not happening. They'll get better offers somewhere else.
For years I have been opposed to Tortorella but now I'm changing my mind as a fit for this bunch. He can be a doozy with his comments; not doubt about it. However when you look at the play of his teams, most recently in Columbus, he can get the club to play fundamentally respectable hockey. Check what Atkinson said about playing for Torts. He'll chew on a lot of asses to get them there but he can get it done. He forces structure. Some guys won't buy into it which will set of a running battle between them and Torts. However others will and a fundamentally sound team will come out of it. It might be called boring hockey. So what? You know what is really boring? Losing. Coming out night after night unprepared to play when the puck is dropped. Not being in shape so that the third period is a lost cause. Torts won't have any of this.

 

[Magua]

Torts has been a free agent for quite some time now. Barring something that is not apparent re: his availability, why is Cuck giving this potential hire consideration now, and not before, if it was in fact “their guy” all along. The truth is, no one has wanted to hire Torts, except now, the Flyers. Cuck and co have zero f***ing plan and just make shit up along the way.

The dirty secret is the Flyers don't have this magnetic pull to acquire the best. That's a bygone era to which people still cling. Their deep pockets have the ability to overpay the best of the mediocre -- that is to say, mediocrity with cachet -- from players to staff. Torts, Vigneault, Hayes, Fletcher.....they're the same entity manifesting in different shapes, like Pennywise the HockeyGuy™.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Torts has been a free agent for quite some time now. Barring something that is not apparent re: his availability, why is Cuck giving this potential hire consideration now, and not before, if it was in fact “their guy” all along. The truth is, no one has wanted to hire Torts, except now, the Flyers. Cuck and co have zero f***ing plan and just make shit up along the way.

Overreact much?

Torts took off the season. One season.

Only the 2nd season he hasn't been an NHL head coach in the last 22 seasons.

 

[renberg]

Torts is soon to be 64 years old. His next job could well be his last one. That could be strong motivation for him to get it right.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

The Flyers spoke with Trotz three times already. Supposedly they have already spoken to Cassidy, as well (or at least are scheduled to).

There are 6 teams without a coach, and that doesn't include Florida, who may dump Brunette.

So, yeah, they may not be Cassidy and Trotz' first choices among the 6-7 clubs. But it sure doesn't hurt to have discussions.

It's silly to negatively paint interviewing a slew of candidates. And I'm sure we don't know the names of everyone with whom they've talked.

 

[Magua]

Yes, Bill, I really think it is.

DeBoer coached more games for Vegas than Vigneault coached for Philadelphia, but only one's untimely firing is an issue.

 

[FlyerNutter]

The level of ball licking that goof has sunk to is just strange.

Credibility goes out the window when he’d bend over, and say thank you if anyone in the org shit on his doorstep.

 

[Young Sandwich]

 

[flyerslducks]

We are getting tortorella….it’s a forgone conclusion. We never do anything right anymore

 

[Flyerfan4life]

Yes, Bill, I really think it is.

DeBoer coached more games for Vegas than Vigneault coached for Philadelphia, but only one's untimely firing is an issue.

shill gotta shill..