The New York Rangers fired head coach John Tortorella on Wednesday. He was hired on February 23, 2009 and is fourth in wins for a Rangers coach.
General Manager Glen Sather said the team’s goal is to win the Stanley Cup, and he felt “this was a decision that had to be made going forward.”
There are many other reasons the Rangers may have fired Tortorella. The obvious one would be their underachieving season. The Rangers picked up blockbuster player Rick Nash in the offseason and started as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Many thought they would rival the Pittsburgh Penguins as the best in the league.
He is also well known for his attitude. He does not care what others think of him and had a tough love way of coaching his players. It was no secret he was not happy with center Brad Richards. Tortorella moved Richards to the fourth line before scratching him the last two playoff games. At every game, spectators would see Tortorella yelling and making snide remarks to his players.
Overall, he did very well during his tenure. Last season the team made the conference finals for the first time since 1997. This year they made it to the second round, only to lose to rival Boston Bruins 4-1. Tortorella’s overall record was 171-118-1-29.
Sather said he hopes to have a head coach by the NHL draft at the end of June.
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