"Flyers dismiss coach John Tortorella, embark on 'new era'"
The Philadelphia Flyers, who currently hold the last place in their division, have decided to fire their head coach, John Tortorella, with nine games left in his third season with the team.
In a statement, general manager Daniel Briere expressed the difficulty of this decision and credited Tortorella for his role in the team's rebuild. However, as they enter a new chapter, Briere believes it is best for the team to move forward without Tortorella.
Tortorella, 66, leaves with a record of 97-107-33. The Flyers (28-36-9, 65 points) have struggled in their recent games, losing 11 out of their last 12 and falling to the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. They are also on track to miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
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Only the Buffalo Sabres (29-35-6, 64 points) have fewer points in the Eastern Conference, but they have played three less games than the Flyers.
Associate coach Brad Shaw, 60, will take over as the interim coach for the rest of the season, starting with Thursday's game against the Montreal Canadiens.
In Tortorella's final two games as head coach, the Flyers allowed seven goals in each game.
After their 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tortorella's comments sparked frustration among some fans.
He said, "When you're in a situation like this, where you're losing all the time and there's no light at the end of the tunnel, there's bound to be some frustration. This is my responsibility. I'm not interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, but I have to do a better job of preparing the team until the end."
Tortorella's overall record as an NHL head coach is 770-648-165 with 37 ties. He won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2003-04 and has also coached the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
