Photo: NHL.com
According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, John Tortorella will join ESPN’s NHL coverage for the 2021-22 season as a studio analyst after the former Columbus Blue Jackets as their head coach and organization mutually agreed to part ways following last season.
In 447 regular-season games behind the Blue Jackets’ bench, Tortorella went 227-166-54 (.568 points percentage). He went 13-18 (.417 win percentage) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In 1383 career regular-season games with the Blue Jackets, Lightning, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks, Tortorella has gone 673-541-37 (ties)-132 (.548 save percentage). His teams went 56-64 (.467) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tortorella led the Lightning to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2004. He won the Jack Adams Award as the league’s coach of the year after that season and 2016-17 with the Blue Jackets.
The team and coach agreed to part ways after the Blue Jackets finished the season with 48 points, tied with the Red Wings for last in the Central Division. Assistant Brad Larsen was named Tortorella’s replacement.
Told former #CBJ coach John Tortorella has been hired by #ESPN to work as a studio analyst beginning this fall.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) August 3, 2021
By Harrison Brown
So in the words of Darth Vader”…come to the dark side!” Somewhere Larry Brooks is laughing his ass off! Hope studio host asks “right questions”, or you’ll here “next question”!