Another fresh season of Hockey started this October, there were a lot of player trades and coaching changes moved in the background. One such significant movement for the New York Rangers happened in 2009 when John Tortorella replaced the beleaguered Tom Renney as head coach. Tortorella, better known as “Tort” around the league, has a great championship history when he was coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he led and won the team the 2004 Stanley Cup.
Tort, born June 24, 1958 in Boston, Massachusetts, is an experienced and hard-nosed coach with a championship pedigree. This kind of toughness and experience in the coaching staff is definitely what the Rangers are looking for to go all the way. Fans expect many things from their new head coach. Which can defiantly be seen be as they show their support by buying Rangers tickets to the next game.
One great thing about Tort is that he is not just a coach, he also played hockey as a right wing in the College of Maine. He played along his brother, Jim, who was the goal keeper that time. Jim is now assistant coach for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats.
Tort also played as a professional in minor hockey leagues in the American Coast Hockey League around 1982-1986. He started his coaching career with the AHL’s Rochester Americans and the ECHL’s Virginia Lancers. In 1996, Tort won the Calder Cup with the Rochester Americans.
Tort is known as a very outspoken personality. One that does not mince words against anyone, including the press and his players. He is also known to tactically substitute goal keepers during his stint with the Lightnings. This tactic was used to the hilt during the Lightning’s Stanley Cup run in 2006.
In 2000-2001, Tort was hired by the Lightnings mid-season as a coaching replacement. During that time, the team only won 12 out of 43 games to end the season. The next season, the team ended up third in the regular season but had a losing record that made them ineligible to cross-over to the playoffs.
The 2002-2003 season marked the start of the winning trend for Tort and his Lightnings. They ended the regular season as Southeast Division champions. Unfortunately, they failed to make it past the Devils (4-1) in the 2003 playoffs.
With his fourth season in the team, Tort has finally achieved the toughness and the chemistry that he needed with the Lightning. They were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and was heavily favored against sixth-seeded, Calgary Flames. They managed to squeeze past the Flames four games to three, and won his first ever Stanley Cup.
This season, Tort is eager to infuse young blood in the team. He is taking charge of “re-building” the franchise by combining both veteran and young talent in the fold. He wants his veterans, who are quite young, to get into the spirit of the action and compete for positions in the line-up. He wants rookies who can play both ends, but with emphasis on the defensive end. Rookies will have a great chance if they can prove they have the defensive skills to bolster the Rangers. However, Tortorella said that he will not be forcing anyone in the line-up until the player can prove he is 100% ready to make the transition. With this in mind, you know that every player that hits the ice is 100% ready to compete. Be sure to purchase your Rangers tickets now for the next Rangers regular season game!
