John Tortorella: Players coach

[lost in dc]

From the New York post:

No organization in pro sports would benefit from John Tortorella’s boot-camp mentality as much as the Sabres. And Tortorella, of course, does not have a contract that goes beyond this season in Columbus.

But though half the Sabres — and that probably includes management — might not survive Tortorella, the larger question is: At this stage of his life, would Tortorella survive the Sabres.

[SDS]

I found an old article I read years ago about how John changed his coaching style and he was no longer the hard ass yeller that old school sports fans long for.

I made a new topic here because his name routinely comes up as someone who needs to come in and whip these players into shape. That coaching model has deep sixed long ago.

https://www.paradigmsports.ca/the-transformation-of-john-tortorella/

[spndnchz]

Maybe we could do one for each coaching prospect?

[SDS]

So, it may be confusing, but that’s why subject title in my post above was the original topic. I would post to get merge, the post that was made first is listed first in the merged topic. 

I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that John Tortorella has changed over the years and is no longer the fire and brimstone guy he used to be.

[Ducky]

Julien is a better idea than Torts.

I don't think the Sabres should sign a coach until the dust settles after the cup has been won and they know which coaches are available.

[Weave]

Any coach that wins is a players coach.  See: Bill Parcells.

[Kruppstahl]

Boudreau is the guy.  He is much more offensively oriented than Julien is, and lots of others, which makes for better viewing as fans.

He has a proven track record of winning everywhere he goes, and he know how to take what pieces are available to make them work.

He has also seen a LOT at this point in his career, and should know who is who and what is what in terms of player effort, which kids are worth keeping, and so on.

As I keep saying, if he was going to be here (or any big name coach currently out of work) I think they would already be the HC of the Sabres.  

So don't expect one of these guys.  I expect another misplaced hire, probably from the coaching ranks.

 

 

31 minutes ago, SDS said:

So, it may be confusing, but that’s why subject title in my post above was the original topic. I would post to get merge, the post that was made first is listed first in the merged topic. 

I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that John Tortorella has changed over the years and is no longer the fire and brimstone guy he used to be.

He has definitely modified his approach from the old days, but he's still John Tortorella and would represent a big injection of discipline to this sorry crew we have in Buffalo.  I'm not the biggest fan of him for other reasons, but there is definitely a core of toughness/acountabililty that runs through is veins.  

That isn't gone.

 

 

[SDS]

15 minutes ago, Weave said:

Any coach that wins is a players coach.  See: Bill Parcells.

See: Terry Glenn. 

[Marvin]

FYI: I stumbled across a YouTube video where Don Cherry said he thought that Tortorella deliberately avoided signing in Columbus.  Cherry then mentioned that Tortorella might be a good fit hear.  No justification for the connection between the two thoughts was given, but maybe that means something...or not.

[PerreaultForever]

You're only going to get a good coach in here if the organization commits to him and his ideas, gives him some control over who is on the roster and offers him a decent long term contract. So you do that and he comes to the GM and says (hypothetically) I don't like Eichel's attitude, then Eichel has to go. If Eichel comes in and says I don't like this coach he has to go, then Eichel has to go (same for any player). 

That's the only way it potentially works. You can't have it both ways, and based on their attitude to hockey people the Pegulas will not go for that. I would love Torts here but I am not optimistic. 

[Zamboni]

That’s what I was saying/getting at like 3-4 weeks ago. The ol’ “yell and kick the garbage can over, and get in a players face” type of coach is no longer. At least not in the NHL. Some fans want to cling to the fantasy of a coach coming in and “kicking ass and taking names”.  I clearly remember a few coaches like that in the 70’s, 80’s, and even the early to mid 90’s. But ...
 

Nope. Gone. Cling, clutch, wish, and fantasize all ya want. This and that. Nope. Gone. 

 

[nfreeman]

13 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

That’s what I was saying/getting at like 3-4 weeks ago. The ol’ “yell and kick the garbage can over, and get in a players face” type of coach is no longer. At least not in the NHL. Some fans want to cling to the fantasy of a coach coming in and “kicking ass and taking names”.  I clearly remember a few coaches like that in the 70’s, 80’s, and even the early to mid 90’s. But ...
 

Nope. Gone. Cling, clutch, wish, and fantasize all ya want. This and that. Nope. Gone. 

 

What about Torts, Quenneville, Lindy, Trotz, Laviolette...

[Trettioåtta]

I like Torts and I think he is good at whipping an underperforming team up and making them accountable.

I also think within 2-3 years he overstays his welcome and his schtick wears off.

Plus he is bad at favouring vets over rookies and demanding everyone be defensively responsible - which is an issue when you have $9 million a year in Skinner

[SwampD]

28 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

That’s what I was saying/getting at like 3-4 weeks ago. The ol’ “yell and kick the garbage can over, and get in a players face” type of coach is no longer. At least not in the NHL. Some fans want to cling to the fantasy of a coach coming in and “kicking ass and taking names”.  I clearly remember a few coaches like that in the 70’s, 80’s, and even the early to mid 90’s. But ...
 

Nope. Gone. Cling, clutch, wish, and fantasize all ya want. This and that. Nope. Gone. 

 

How are you so sure of this?

And does it even mean that one of those couldn’t work?

[nfreeman]

3 minutes ago, Trettioåtta said:

I like Torts and I think he is good at whipping an underperforming team up and making them accountable.

I also think within 2-3 years he overstays his welcome and his schtick wears off.

Plus he is bad at favouring vets over rookies and demanding everyone be defensively responsible - which is an issue when you have $9 million a year in Skinner

It seems like at least 50/50 that Torts and Skinner would go about as well as RK and Skinner.

[Pimlach]

We should not base our next head coach on how well gets along with Skinner.  

[woods-racer]

48 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

We should not base our next head coach on how well gets along with Skinner.  

We need a coach that gets the most out of one the highest paid players in the league(?) for his position. Skinner may hate Torts but love to win playing for him.

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, nfreeman said:

It seems like at least 50/50 that Torts and Skinner would go about as well as RK and Skinner.

Oh I don't think there's any question that Skinner and Torts wouldn't get along, but do we wait for Skinner's contract to be over to get a winner? 

[miles]

the sabres need to try someone that will run them into the ground when they give up. this way they will learn they need to play full on all the time. i have never seen a team play so dejected when a goal is given up

[Thwomp!]

Looks like Tortorella and the Blue Jackets will mutually part ways after this season.  His contract is up and neither side seems to want an extension at this point.

He'll be available if the Sabres want him, but I just don't see it happening.  He's not going to hold his tongue for one thing, which the Pegulas seem like they'd be adverse to.

[Marvin]

31 minutes ago, Thwomp! said:

Looks like Tortorella and the Blue Jackets will mutually part ways after this season.  His contract is up and neither side seems to want an extension at this point.

He'll be available if the Sabres want him, but I just don't see it happening.  He's not going to hold his tongue for one thing, which the Pegulas seem like they'd be adverse to.

The funny thing is that the people I know in Columbus largely think that Tortorella wants the Sabres job because he thinks we need a coach like him that badly.  They assert that we remind them of Columbus when he went there.  When I mentioned that the same theory might apply to Boudreau, they tend to laugh and comment how horrible our coach was.