JOHN TORTORELLA

PHILADELPHIA — (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers have hired John Tortorella as their new coach, hoping the fiery veteran can help lead them to their first Stanley Cup championship since 1975. Tortorella, who turns 64 next week, coached Tampa Bay to a Stanley Cup title in 2004, and he also coached the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. Tortorella is the sixth Flyers coach in the last 10 years and he will triy to revitalize a dormant franchise that has just one playoff series victory since 2012. He said at the end of the season the Flyers were “a pretty soft team” and a coach like Tortorella could help toughen up any franchise. The Flyers last played in the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 and haven’t won a championship since consecutive Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.

The Philadelphia Flyers have hired John Tortorella as their new coach, hoping the veteran can help lead them to their first Stanley Cup since 1975.

Blue Jackets Coach Hockey FILE - In this March 27, 2021, file photo, Columbus Blue Jackets assistant coach Brad Larsen talks to the team during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Detroit Red Wings in Detroit. The Blue Jackets on Thursday, June 10, promoted Larsen to fill the head coaching vacancy left after Columbus parted ways with John Tortorella after six seasons. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File) (Carlos Osorio)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — The Blue Jackets promoted Brad Larsen on Thursday to fill the head coaching vacancy left after Columbus parted ways with John Tortorella after six seasons at the helm. The Blue Jackets are 269-208-59 record during Larsen's time as an assistant, which included stints working under Tortorella and Todd Richards. Larsen began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL from 2010-12.

The Blue Jackets have promoted Brad Larsen to fill the head coaching vacancy left after Columbus parted ways with John Tortorella after six seasons at the helm.

John Davidson is returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets as president of hockey operations.

Blue Jackets Panthers Hockey Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella shouts at an official after a fight between Columbus Blue Jackets' s Gavin Bayreuther and Florida Panthers' Sam Bennett during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, April 19, 2021, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Lynne Sladky)COLUMBUS, Ohio — (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have mutually agreed to part ways with John Tortorella, the franchise’s winningest coach, following a six-year tenure, the team announced Sunday. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced the decision a day after the Blue Jackets (17-26-12) finished last in the Central Division, concluding their season with a 5-4 overtime win against Detroit. Tortorella led the Blue Jackets to four straight playoff appearances after the team qualified for the postseason just twice in its first 15 seasons. The Blue Jackets also won their first playoff series in team history with a four-game sweep of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2019 first-round series. The Blue Jackets went 227-166-54 under Tortorella, including a team-best 50-24-8 finish in 2016-17.

John Tortorella is out as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets after six seasons.

Columbus Blue Jackets players celebrate their goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)COLUMBUS, Ohio – Hours after trading disgruntled center Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Columbus Blue Jackets got three first-period goals and beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 Saturday. Nick Foligno, Mikhail Grigorenko, Vladislav Gavrikov, Zach Werenski and Eric Robinson scored, and Elvis Merzlikins had 30 saves as the Blue Jackets played their most explosive game of the season. The Blue Jackets tied it 17 seconds later when Foligno knocked in a rebound off Vasilevsky's stick. The Blue Jackets host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday and Thursday.

It was the first day of training camp for Laviolette and the Washington Capitals and most of the NHL. Camps are now open for the league's 31 teams and they will last just 10 days. “You get a fresh start,” said Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres, who haven't played a game since March. “Most players would argue that camps are a little bit long anyway," Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler said. “I’ve been told from our team and from the league, when a player is not on the ice during training camp, we’re supposed to say he’s not available today,” Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault said.

TORONTO, ONT Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper took exception to the Columbus Blue Jackets being referred to as a blue-collar team. Is that a positive or a negative? Cooper said Monday, a day before his Eastern Conference second-seeded Lightning open the first round of the NHL playoffs against the seventh-seeded Blue Jackets. Thats in the history books forever, Cooper said, noting how both teams have made various changes to their lineups. Id call them a really good team.Familiarity is breeding respect among the East opponents entering the first round. The Islanders hold a 5-2 playoff series edge over Washington.

In this photo provided by the Dallas Stars NHL hockey team, interim head coach Rick Bowness watches practice in Frisco, Texas, Tuesday, July 14, 2020. You get out there and you miss it, the Dallas Stars coach said. You realize how much you enjoy being out there.The NHLs oldest head coach still worries about COVID-19 but not enough to stop doing his job. Im going to have to adjust to it, there is no question. The average age of the 24 head coaches in the playoffs is just under 54, the second-oldest behind the NBA among North Americas four major professional sports leagues.