John Tortorella Explains Coach’s Approach To NHL Stadium Series
When John Tortorella coached his first NHL outdoor game, he ended up in the headlines for ripping the officials for their decision to award Danny Briere a penalty shot. Tortorella’s New York Rangers came away with a 3-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Fast forward 12 years. Tortorella and Briere have become two of the driving forces of the first announced rebuild in Philadelphia Flyers history.
The Orange and Black will travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New Jersey Devils in the NHL Stadium Series on Saturday, Feb. 17. A seasoned veteran head coach can be valuable in a setting with so much pageantry. When Tortorella spoke about coaching his second outdoor game, he stayed true to his typical focus on a task at hand without concern for the outside noise.
John Tortorella on NHL Stadium Series
The Philadelphia head coach has his team surprisingly in the thick of a playoff race. He seemed more worried about that than about the location of the upcoming matchup against the Devils.
“It’s certainly different playing outside. I think it’s more fun for the guys. Coaches just freeze their ass off from the bench and coach the game. In the situation we’re in, those are important points against Jersey. I don’t want to boo-hoo it, but we’re going to concentrate on getting our team prepared. I think there’s going to be a lot of things for them (the players) to work through before even playing the game. Our job is to try to get them ready to play.” -John Tortorella
Tortorella acknowledged that the outdoor showcase will be a good experience for players and their families. He recognized that it helps the league grow. However, the notion of growing the prestige of the Philadelphia Flyers as a popular name brand isn’t his priority.
"I think the coaching staff has to be the steadiest group as far as making sure we’re ready to play because I think there’s so many different distractions that are going to be around us prior to the game."
— Colin Newby (@ToNewbyginnings) February 13, 2024
-John Tortorella on NHL Stadium Series
The Strength of Good Coaches
Tortorella has stabilized a tumultuous organization since stepping behind the bench in 2022. Despite spats with the local media and an unpopular approach to some of his veteran players, he’s established a consistent internal message and earned the respect of his players.
Look around the rest of the Philadelphia sports scene. Nick Nurse has maximized the talent for an upstart Sixers team who could compete for a championship if their star player returns healthy. His book Rapture details the need to stay “above the chaos of the game” to provide the best leadership.
It’s exactly what Nick Sirianni didn’t do for the 2023 Eagles. He instead fired an assistant coach unceremoniously in a panic move that only heightened his team’s problems. His animated sideline persona did nothing to stop a brutal losing stretch.
John Tortorella plans to prioritize getting his players organized to take the ice for the NHL Stadium Series. He won’t shift his focus to the Jonas Brothers or the countless TV cameras. The former Stanley Cup winner didn’t eclipse 1500 NHL games by falling victim to the chaos of the game, and he certainly won’t do it now.
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History of the Philadelphia Flyers in NHL Outdoor Games
The 2017 NHL Stadium Series: A Golden Anniversary
Heinz Field- Pittsburgh, PA
February 25, 2017
Penguins 4, Flyers 2The Penguins had finally ditched the distractions by 2017 and allowed the superior skill of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to take control of their fierce intrastate rivalry. The defending Stanley Cup champions overmatched the Flyers early in the Mike Sullivan era, especially at Heinz Field in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the two franchises entering the league as part of the NHL expansion wave of 1967.
Sidney Crosby sucked the hope from Philadelphia fans with an early goal, and the Flyers trailed the rest of the game. Any mental edge they might’ve had in the rivalry in past years was completely gone.
2021 NHL Outdoor Games: The Picture-Perfect Moment
Edgewood Tahoe Resort- Stateline, NV
February 21, 2021
Bruins 7, Flyers 3The Covid-19 pandemic slammed the NHL just like it did to everyone else. The 56-game season in 2020-21 wasn’t going to be the most memorable in hockey history no matter how the league handled their business.
One way they tried to compensate for empty arenas was the outdoor doubleheader at Lake Tahoe. The Colorado Avalanche took on the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The Bruins and the Flyers faced off for a rematch of the 2010 Winter Classic on Sunday, Feb. 21. If fans weren’t getting the real experience of an outdoor game, at least they’d see some excellent photographs of a beautiful scene.
The Flyers barely had enough skaters to compete, and a postponement might’ve been a better decision. They were no match for a talented Bruins attack. David Pastrnak scored a hat trick in a 7-3 laugher that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Carter Hart allowed six goals on 23 shots as one of the first blunders in what turned out to be a miserable season for him and for the Flyers.
2024 NHL Stadium Series: A "Rocky" Effort
MetLife Stadium- East Rutherford, NJ
February 17, 2024
Devils 6, Flyers 3When the NHL announced the 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium, it looked like the Devils would enter as heavy favorites. An early-season surge from the Flyers thickened the plot against a team that failed to live up to the standard of their breakout season in 2022-23.
John Tortorella and the Flyers stunned the NHL with an excellent effort in 2023-24. They had a great opportunity to reignite a rivalry that became one of the game’s best in the 1990s and 2000s. However, they fell to the Devils 6-3 with a loose defensive effort.
Nico Hischier scored his first of two NHL Stadium Series goals 32 seconds after the opening faceoff. The Flyers trailed the rest of the night and fell to 1-4-1 in outdoor games. The Rangers and the Islanders played a classic the following day at the Meadowlands.
