1500 games as a coach: John Tortorella underlines this by criticizing journalists

John Tortorella is a coach who’s as dumb as a post. He’s not exactly the type to get in over his head when it comes to talking to journalists. Or his players. Or anyone.

It’s a management style that appeals to some people, like Martin St-Louis, but has also made him many enemies over the course of his long career.

But like it or not, it’s still a style that, on Friday, will enable him to reach the 1,500-game mark as an NHL coach. That’s no mean feat.

Naturally, you’ll understand that he was asked about this yesterday, to get a feel for this important plateau.

And Tortorella being Tortorella…

In response to the reporters, the coach replied that he didn’t care about the numbers as such, because he’s just happy to do his job… and then he took pleasure in criticizing the reporters.

Tortorella may say that he’s proud to have his bosses’ trust, that he likes to share the dressing room with the guys and that he likes to find solutions to problems on the ice, but we all know that he’s one silliness away from making us forget his real answers.

I like being in the dressing room with the athletes. I can’t take anything else. I like being in the locker room and on the bench with the players, but I’m not able to be with the rest of you [journalists].

I’d rather be there [in the dressing room] right now. Can we stop this [media availability] now? – John Tortorella

Even though he had some good things to say about his players, the comments about journalists are obviously the most memorable. In his case, it’s a habit to speak out against the press.

We can’t blame him for his lack of authenticity, but we can find him a bit of a rat, all the same. After all, why taint a set like this with comments like that?

But at the same time, if the guy doesn’t give a damn about the set and the journalists… it opens the door to this.

In brief

– NHL trades are allowed again.

– Photo day for Canada.

– CMJ: two matches on the menu.

– Really?

– MLB prospect expert is a Connor Bedard fan.