Why is Tortorella not popular amongst fans?

[Seb]

Define "toxic". Babcock is toxic, Tortorella isn't.

I have a huge problem with anyone yelling at anybody, especially when they have any form of authority.

Tortorella seems to think yelling = motivating. I disagree.

Time to move on from the dinosaurs.

 

[Realgud]

I have a huge problem with anyone yelling at anybody, especially when they have any form of authority.

Tortorella seems to think yelling = motivating. I disagree.

Time to move on from the dinosaurs.

Fair, but how would you motivate someone like PLD?

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I think Torts is hilarious but let's be real, he is a sarcastic loudmouth and that is bound to rub a lot of people the wrong way, especially in hockey where no one is supposed to have a personality

Or, to put it more diplomatically, he can come across as an "attention seeker" when it's supposed to be about the team, instead of the individual

 

[King'sPawn]

He just has a boring schtick of being rude and having tantrums with reporters trying to do their job. At least Sutter would have funny quips.

He's just not entertaining or insightful.

 

[Seb]

Fair, but how would you motivate someone like PLD?

No idea but I don't think yelling is the answer. Some people like Kessler can take it and some even thrive under this kind of abuse but it shouldn't be normalized.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

We won't ever see anything like this again.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

By all accounts he sounds like a pretty good guy away from the rink but even among NHL coaches he's got a massive ego and seems to base a lot of his public statements on if he thinks it makes him look tough or cool.

People sometimes argue there's a method to his madness. That he's drawing attention to himself to keep it away from his team, but he's made an ass of himself no matter what's going on with his team.

Also his stint in Vancouver when he was mailing it in from the US was pretty hilarious.

 

[ClydeLee]

Why would Flyers fans want their record to be better?

He seems to drive the line or bubble team for all his teams which sometimes was underpreforming, like the Rangers. But sometimes, bizarre when the team is getting no 5 year plan future out of squeezing the rocks. Like now or late in CbJ

 

[Hoek]

He seemed like an asshole just from watching his behavior and mannerisms on the bench. Then he got a TV job and started talking, and boy oh boy did he not help his case. He really showed his ass with a lot of dinosaur takes that make him look like an out of touch fool.

Spending a year listening to him talk about how "Barkov is better than McDavid because faceoffs" was the most unbearable thing I've had to listen to, at least in terms of mainstream American hockey coverage.

I feel like TV jobs aren't the best representation though. It felt like his job was to be the contrarian. I remember his comments about Zegras didn't even feel particularly genuine but somebody had to be on there to complain about the "showboating" I guess.

 

[Kupo]

Torts may be an asshole, but he's an open book. You don't have to overthink shit with him. All the guy demands is a full effort. I love him as a coach.

If you're a soft, spoiled little bitch, then I get why you wouldn't like Torts as a coach or a person.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Who says he's not popular?

 

[Look Up]

We won't ever see anything like this again.

View attachment 757702

Have to put this piece of gold here:

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Style of play isn't the one some fans enjoys. Plus polarizing coaching style and media presence

 

[MAHJ71]

Great coach. As a CBJ fan, appreciated his time here in Columbus. Not to say he doesn't have personality warts. Post game interviews were not the best. Like everything else in life there is good and bad..

But as soon as he was replaced with a easy-going player coach the results went back to crap.. speaks volumes to his coaching style/methods.

 

[TomBlizzy12]

As a rangers fan, the "get 2 goals, block every shot possible, and pray Lundqvist stands on his head" strategy got old way too fast.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Not a fan of these egomaniac "system" coaches. What it really comes down to with guys like this is that any success needs to be fully attributed to "them" and "their" system. They don't want any player to be the star, they want to be the star.

As far as "marketing" goes, it seems to work, people still talk about the 2004 Lightning Cup and heap praise onto Torts for it almost 20 years later, when he's had almost two decades of mediocre results following it. I don't think there's another coach in the League that has gotten that sort of mileage out of something that long ago.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Toxic boss who can make you great or good pal with who you will always be mediocre? Tough choice...

When's the last time Torts made a conference final again?

 

[Cup or Bust]

In the media he comes across as someone who over compensates for being a small man by using a big mouth. I am sure internally he is a just a hard coach that is fair with his players as long as they stick to the program.

 

[Rich Nixon]

Strong disagree with the last part, particularly with the part of his career I’m most familiar with.

If you're a Tampa fan, then you're familiar with the successful times that he's still living off of.

He isn't a bad coach by any stretch of the imagination. In 2003, he was a really damn good one. In 2023, he's an average one with a big ego and shtick.

 

[BrokenFace]

Torts seems to have all these rules about putting the team above the individual player, which is understandable, but at the same time the guy loves the spotlight more than any coach I know of. If any of his players had made headlines the way Torts himself does, Torts would bench them. Other than that, it seems like he's been coasting off of the cup win for a long time now.

 

[LuGBuG]

The question is about fans, not players, though. For instance, every one of Nate Thompson's teammates would probably tell you he was an A1 teammate they liked playing with. That doesn't mean fans liked watching him play, though.

Yeah good point. I guess I’ll change my answer to I’m not really sure lol

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

I love Torts. Love the way he treats the media with absolute contempt. Love the fire and passion he brings to the game. If he was my coach I would go through a wall for him. As far as I am concerned we need more personalities like Torts, not less.

 

[blundluntman]

He's a no nonsense tell it like it is guy who has a "old-school" philosophy when it comes to coaching and player utilization. I personally like and respect the guy but he isn't really a friendly personality

 

[larek]

I have a huge problem with anyone yelling at anybody, especially when they have any form of authority.

Tortorella seems to think yelling = motivating. I disagree.

Time to move on from the dinosaurs.

Like him good coach !!

 

[missionAvs]

Man I love Torts. Dude is the shit and makes for an amazing interview.