Two Swedish newspapers wrote about John Tortorella's playing career in the Swedish Division 3 (fith division, SEL is first, then Allsvenskan, then Div. 1) team Kristianstad IK. They interviewed players who played with him. If you're Swedish you can read the links at the top (or try Google Translate if you're not) but I will sum up the articles here.
- When he walked into the dressing room you saw he was a real tough guy. Black curly hair, black beard and black eyes. (Mats Aspnäs, GK)
Tortorella wasn't a goal scorer, but he was a fighter and played a psychical game. And he knew how to check.
One player recalls a game where Torts took so much speed and power to check another player that he missed, flew over the boards and on to the asphalt on the other side. He got up and ran on the asphalt with his skates and jumped back over the boards again.
Outside of the rink life was a party for Torts but he doesn't like to comment on the time himself. When the Rangers were in Stockholm in October 2011 he didn't want to comment on his time with the Swedish team.
Torts got himself plenty of parking tickets since when he went to a restaurant he just left the car right outside.
Despite this lifestyle, Torts had a lot of respect for the staff and coaches in the team and there is no doubt that he is a better coach than he was player.
Aspnäs also recalls the last game where the team couldn't drop out or get higher in the standings so the team incited him to take a fight. A player in the other team started roughing a bit after the whistle had blown so Torts knocked him down. Then he took a break and started fighting again. The opposing team's players starting cheering so Torts skated over and starting fighting the team in their box. They had to drag Torts out and afterwards all he said was "was it OK guys?".
The next day there was a big picture of Torts in the local paper and it said that if it had only been boxing, Torts would have won more points.
I thought it was a pretty funny article and I didn't know if you guys had heard of it so I decided to post it! Cheers!
Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass.
hahaha, from wikipedia..
what a ****ing guy... i wonder how long before the players tune him out though, 2-3 years max?
Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass.
hahaha, from wikipedia..
what a ****ing guy... i wonder how long before the players tune him out though, 2-3 years max?
They are 1st in the East and the team obviously responds to him.
Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass.
hahaha, from wikipedia..
what a ****ing guy... i wonder how long before the players tune him out though, 2-3 years max?
Sean is that you? If you don't like Torts that's fine, your entitled to your opinion , but come on man, where first in the east, he's established a great system that's working for us, not to mention the work ethic that he has instilled in our whole line up ,how can you hate on this guy. ****** the caps an there fans
Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass.
hahaha, from wikipedia..
what a ****ing guy... i wonder how long before the players tune him out though, 2-3 years max?
Players "tune out" coaches who are, above all else, unsuccessful. This Rangers team has had one of the best regular seasons in franchise history and many players have gone on the record about how much they all buy into Torts's system and how important it is to the team's success.
huh? im a huge torts fan.. but seriously a coach who is hard on his players will eventually be tuned out.. hes been here for 2 years? ok he was in tampa for 6.5 years.. another 4.5 years of torts.. if you think 4.5 years more or torts telling these guys to block shorts.. eventually mcdonaugh is just gonna give him the yes treatment..
and just cause i dont update my user name to fit the players on the team doesnt mean i havent moved on from sean avery? who are you guys ********? clearly the rangers are one of the better hockey teams around, but for how long?
man you guys arent too good are critical thinking.
[QUOTE=avery16;47344747]Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass.
hahaha, from wikipedia..
Considering Management supports him 110%. Tuning Torts out get you shipped out.
Go fetch your skates from the river.
Tortorella was suspended 1 game by the NHL for an altercation with several Capitals fans behind the bench in the third period of Game 5 in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Replays show the fan clearly heckling Tortorella through verbal jeering, before Tortorella responded by throwing a water bottle at a fan before grabbing a stick from Aaron Voros and trying to spear the fan through a space between 2 panes of glass.
hahaha, from wikipedia..
Considering Management supports him 110%. Tuning Torts out get you shipped out.
Go fetch your skates from the river.
haha funny how one dimensional you are man.. how about think about my post before chirping at me as if im the real sean avery... why would i get my skates from the river? what river? what the hell are you talking about?
seriously.. clearly they are behind him 110 percent right now you nimrod, they have a great chance at the president trophy..
So how good was he, really? How does 5th-tier Swedish hockey compare to the NCAA or Junior A?
It's a beer league, tier 5 and 6 are pretty bad. At the time tier 5 was the lowest I think. Most NCAA players(Dunno about the lower collegiate divisions) could make the jump to tier-3, the good ones to tier-2, the legit NHL prospects to the SEL.
Two Swedish newspapers wrote about John Tortorella's playing career in the Swedish Division 3 (fith division, SEL is first, then Allsvenskan, then Div. 1) team Kristianstad IK. They interviewed players who played with him. If you're Swedish you can read the links at the top (or try Google Translate if you're not) but I will sum up the articles here.
- When he walked into the dressing room you saw he was a real tough guy. Black curly hair, black beard and black eyes. (Mats Aspnäs, GK)
Tortorella wasn't a goal scorer, but he was a fighter and played a psychical game. And he knew how to check.
One player recalls a game where Torts took so much speed and power to check another player that he missed, flew over the boards and on to the asphalt on the other side. He got up and ran on the asphalt with his skates and jumped back over the boards again.
Outside of the rink life was a party for Torts but he doesn't like to comment on the time himself. When the Rangers were in Stockholm in October 2011 he didn't want to comment on his time with the Swedish team.
Torts got himself plenty of parking tickets since when he went to a restaurant he just left the car right outside.
Despite this lifestyle, Torts had a lot of respect for the staff and coaches in the team and there is no doubt that he is a better coach than he was player.
Aspnäs also recalls the last game where the team couldn't drop out or get higher in the standings so the team incited him to take a fight. A player in the other team started roughing a bit after the whistle had blown so Torts knocked him down. Then he took a break and started fighting again. The opposing team's players starting cheering so Torts skated over and starting fighting the team in their box. They had to drag Torts out and afterwards all he said was "was it OK guys?".
The next day there was a big picture of Torts in the local paper and it said that if it had only been boxing, Torts would have won more points.
I thought it was a pretty funny article and I didn't know if you guys had heard of it so I decided to post it! Cheers!
I took Torts by KO before I read this but now I take Torts via murder.
it could be a pre-qual to the Rangers season , with a little boy named Lundqvist in the stands watching
