John Tortorella facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Tortorella
Tortorella with the Rangers in November 2011
Born	(1958-06-24) June 24, 1958 (age 67) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Hampton Roads Gulls Erie Golden Blades Virginia Lancers
Coached for	New York Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning Vancouver Canucks Columbus Blue Jackets Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	1982–1986
Coaching career	1988–present

John Tortorella (born June 24, 1958) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tortorella has also coached the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He led the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup in 2004.

He is the first American-born NHL coach to reach 500 wins. By the end of the 2023–24 season, he had 742 wins, placing him ninth all-time. He has won the Jack Adams Award twice, which is given to the NHL's top coach. Tortorella is known for being very direct and honest. He sometimes spoke openly about his players or the media.

Playing Career: John Tortorella's Early Days

Tortorella went to Concord-Carlisle High School in Concord, Massachusetts. He is honored in the school's athletic Hall of Fame. His brother, Jim, who was a goalie, is also on the wall.

John, sometimes called "The Paper Italian," played as a right wing for three years at the University of Maine (1978–1981). His brother Jim also played with him there. Jim later became an assistant coach for Harvard.

After college, Tortorella played hockey in Sweden for a year (1981–1982). Then, he returned to the United States. He played four years of minor professional ice hockey (1982–1986). This was in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League (ACHL). During this time, he played for the Hampton Roads Gulls, Erie Golden Blades, and Virginia Lancers. John Tortorella never played a game in the NHL.

Coaching Career: From Minor Leagues to the NHL

Starting Out: ECHL and AHL Teams

John Tortorella's coaching journey began with minor league teams. He coached in the AHL for the Rochester Americans and in the ECHL for the Virginia Lancers. He won the Calder Cup with the Rochester Americans in 1996.

Tortorella is even credited with helping name the ECHL. He was the head coach of the Virginia Lancers at the time. He later left the Lancers to become an assistant coach for the New Haven Nighthawks in the AHL.

Tortorella got his first chance to be a head coach in the NHL with the New York Rangers. This happened when their coach, John Muckler, was fired near the end of the 1999-2000 season. His first game as an NHL head coach was on April 1, 2000. The Rangers tied the Boston Bruins 2–2.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Winning the Stanley Cup

Tortorella took over the Tampa Bay Lightning in January 2001. The team had been struggling for years. They had lost 50 or more games in each of the previous four seasons. Under his leadership, the team slowly started to improve.

The 2002–03 season was his first winning season as an NHL head coach. The Lightning won their first Southeast Division title. They lost in the second round of the 2003 playoffs. Tortorella was also a finalist for the Jack Adams Award that year.

In 2003–04, his fourth season with the team, the Lightning had an amazing year. They won the Southeast Division title again with 106 points. This was the second-best record in the entire league. The Lightning then won the Prince of Wales Trophy and went on to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. They defeated the Calgary Flames four games to three. This was the first Stanley Cup win in the team's history! Tortorella became only the third American-born coach to win it. A few days later, he won the 2004 Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.

After the NHL lockout, the team's starting goalie left. Tortorella was known for being tough on his goalies during this time. On March 11, 2008, Tortorella passed Bob Johnson to become the most successful American-born NHL coach with 235 victories. He was fired by the Lightning in the 2008 off-season.

New York Rangers: A Return to the Big Apple

Tortorella as head coach of the New York Rangers during a game in March 2009. He was named the Rangers' head coach on February 23, 2009.

John Tortorella became the head coach of the New York Rangers on February 23, 2009. He replaced Tom Renney. On March 17, he again became the American-born coach with the most wins in NHL history.

On November 20, 2010, Tortorella became the first American-born coach to reach 300 NHL victories. This happened when the Rangers beat the Minnesota Wild.

In the 2011–12 season, he led the Rangers to one of their best seasons ever. They had 51 wins and the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, they lost in the Conference Finals to the New Jersey Devils. Tortorella was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award for a third time that season.

On March 26, 2013, Tortorella reached 400 career victories. The Rangers fired him on May 29, 2013, after they were eliminated from the playoffs.

Vancouver Canucks: A Short Stay

As the Vancouver Canucks head coach, Tortorella chose to start Eddie Läck (left) over Roberto Luongo (right) in the 2014 Heritage Classic.

The Vancouver Canucks announced Tortorella as their new coach on June 25, 2013. He replaced Alain Vigneault, who then went to coach the Rangers.

Tortorella got his first win with the Canucks on October 5, 2013, against the Edmonton Oilers.

During a game on January 18, 2014, Tortorella had a heated moment with the Calgary Flames coach. He was suspended for 15 days without pay by the NHL. Canucks assistant coach Mike Sullivan took over during this time.

On March 2, 2014, Tortorella made a controversial decision. He chose to start Eddie Läck in the 2014 Heritage Classic game instead of Roberto Luongo. Luongo was upset and was traded two days later.

Tortorella's time with the Canucks lasted only one season. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. On May 1, 2014, Tortorella and his assistant coach were fired.

Columbus Blue Jackets: More Milestones

On October 21, 2015, Tortorella was hired to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team had started the 2015–16 season with a very poor record. On March 19, 2016, Tortorella coached his 1,000th NHL game. He was the 26th head coach in NHL history to do so, and the first American-born coach.

On December 18, 2016, the Blue Jackets beat the Canucks. This made Tortorella the first American-born coach with 500 victories. His success in the 2016–17 season earned him his second Jack Adams Award.

On January 10, 2019, Tortorella became the first American-born coach, and 19th overall, to reach 600 victories. This happened when the Blue Jackets defeated the Nashville Predators. In the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs, Tortorella's Blue Jackets won their first playoff series ever. They eliminated his old team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On May 9, 2021, Tortorella and the Blue Jackets decided to part ways. He finished his time with the Blue Jackets as the coach with the most wins in the team's history.

Philadelphia Flyers: Recent Coaching Role

After working as a studio analyst for ESPN during the 2021–22 season, Tortorella was named the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers on June 17, 2022. On December 29, 2023, Tortorella coached his 1,500th NHL regular season game. He became the eighth head coach in NHL history, and the first American-born coach, to reach this milestone.

On March 9, 2024, Tortorella was ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This happened after he had a verbal disagreement with the referees. He was suspended for two games and fined $50,000.

Tortorella was dismissed as the Flyers' head coach on March 27, 2025. Brad Shaw, who was the associate coach, took over.

Coaching Team USA

Tortorella was an assistant coach for the United States men's national ice hockey team in 2008–2009. He led the team at the 2008 IIHF World Championship, where they finished sixth.

Tortorella was chosen to coach Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The team did not make it out of the group stage, losing all three games.

Head Coaching Record: A Look at the Numbers

This table shows John Tortorella's coaching record in the NHL. It lists how many games he coached (G), wins (W), losses (L), ties (T), and overtime losses (OTL). It also shows his team's finish and their playoff results.

* – Mid-season replacement