The Philadelphia Flyers have announced a change in coaching, parting ways with head coach John Tortorella.
On Thursday, the Flyers announced the dismissal of John Tortorella from his head coaching position. Associate head coach Brad Shaw has been named as the interim replacement.
Tortorella, aged 66, was appointed as the Flyers` head coach in June 2022. During his tenure in Philadelphia, he accumulated a record of 97 wins, 107 losses, and 33 overtime losses.
General manager Daniel Briere stated, `Today, I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach. John was crucial to our rebuild. He established a standard of play and redefined what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer.`
Briere continued, `John`s passion on the bench was matched by his community involvement. As we progress into the next phase of our rebuild, I felt this change was necessary for the team`s advancement. I want to thank John for his dedicated work and commitment to the Flyers.`
The team`s decision to make a change comes after a poor run of form, with only one victory in their last 12 games, including a heavy 7-2 defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs, marking their sixth consecutive loss.
Tortorella acknowledged the team`s performance after the game, stating, `This responsibility lies with me. I am not interested in learning how to coach during this type of season, given our current situation. I need to improve my performance.`
He added, `Therefore, it is my responsibility to ensure the team is prepared to play correctly until the season concludes.`
Tortorella holds the ninth position on the NHL`s all-time coaching wins list with 770 victories. He has received multiple Jack Adams Awards and led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup victory in 2004.
Shaw, 60, is in his third season with the Flyers, having joined the coaching staff alongside Tortorella in July 2022. Prior to this, he served as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks for two seasons.
