John Tortorella is a former professional ice hockey player and current coach who has had a successful career in the sport. He was born on June 24, 1958, in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up playing hockey in the area.
Tortorella began his professional career as a player in 1982 when he signed with the Virginia Lancers of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. He played for several other minor league teams before retiring as a player in 1990.
After retiring, Tortorella began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. He then moved on to become the head coach of the ECHL's Virginia Lancers, where he led the team to a championship in 1992.
In 1995, Tortorella was hired as an assistant coach for the AHL's Baltimore Bandits. He then moved on to become the head coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans, where he led the team to a Calder Cup championship in 1996.
Tortorella's success in the AHL led to him being hired as an assistant coach for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes in 1997. He then moved on to become the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2001.
Tortorella led the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2004, and he was awarded the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year. He remained with the Lightning until 2008, when he was fired after the team missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
After leaving the Lightning, Tortorella was hired as the head coach of the New York Rangers in 2009. He led the team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons with the team, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012.
Tortorella was fired by the Rangers in 2013 after the team was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. He then spent one season as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks before being fired in 2014.
In 2015, Tortorella was hired as the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He led the team to the playoffs in 2017 and 2019, and he was awarded the Jack Adams Award for the second time in his career in 2017.
Tortorella has a reputation as a fiery and demanding coach who is not afraid to speak his mind. He has been involved in several controversies throughout his career, including a suspension for throwing a water bottle at a fan during a game in 2004.
Despite his controversial reputation, Tortorella is widely respected in the hockey world for his coaching abilities. He has a career record of 673-541-37-120 as an NHL head coach, and he is one of only 14 coaches in NHL history to win 600 games.
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