TAMPA, Fla. — Four years ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning and coach John Tortorella were on top of the hockey world, winning the franchise’s first – and to this point only – Stanley Cup title. Tuesday afternoon, Tortorella’s world came crashing down. General Manager Jay Feaster announced that Tortorella, 49, would not be back behind the bench of Florida’s first NHL team after a 6 ½ year run. In that time, the Bolts were 239-222-36-38 and made the post season trip four times, including the championship season just before the NHL’s season long lockout.
“This has been a very difficult decision because of everything that John Tortorella has meant to and done for this organization,” Feaster said. “Torts came to Tampa and not only built the foundation under our club but he also changed the culture and raised the expectations, eventually leading us to the Stanley Cup in 2004. What he accomplished during his tenure in Tampa was nothing short of remarkable and our organization will always owe him our thanks, gratitude and deep respect.”
Under Tortorella’s watch, the Lightning went from being an afterthought along the beach to one of the hottest tickets on the Gulf coast with sellouts becoming the norm at the St. Pete Times Forum. Along the way, he took the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards and nurtured their individual talents to the point where they have become stars.
Tortorella’s departure comes at a time where the franchise itself is at a crossroads. The Lightning finished the 2007-2008 season with the worst record in the NHL at 31-42-9 for 71 points and failed to qualify for the post season. During the stretch run toward the playoffs, Tampa Bay seemed to lose its way more often than not and Tortorella was at his wit’s end trying to restore his squad’s confidence.
According to Feaster, his relationship with Tortorella was strained this past season. “From a philosophy standpoint and the way some things went this season, this past year was a year when Torts and I were not on the same page more than we weren’t on the same page for probably seven years total,” he said.
Even if the team had gotten into the playoffs, the final year of Tortorella’s contract may have been mute anyway. Palace Sports & Entertainment and owner Bill Davidson – who are also the owners of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons – have a deal in principal to sell the team to OK Hockey, a group headed by Hollywood movie mogul Oren Koules. The NHL’s Board of Governors is expected to give its approval of the sale on June 18, just before the NHL Entry Draft where Tampa Bay is expected to select phenom Steven Stamkos with the first pick.
Koules, who is described as a “hands-on” manager, is friends with ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose dating back to when Melrose coached the Los Angeles Kings from 1992-1995, including a trip to the Stanley Cup finals. On May 29, the Toronto Star reported that Melrose had already been offered the position. Melrose denied the rumor, saying on May 30 that “my desire to coach again has never been a secret but I love what I do at ESPN.” Feaster followed Melrose’s statement by indicating that no decisions would be made until the sale of the team was finalized.
In a teleconference Wednesday morning, Tortorella said that although he did want to return as the Bolts coach, he understood the move.
“When your team finishes 30th in the National Hockey League, obviously it’s a pretty long year and not a great year by any stretch,” he said. “I think eventually someone is going to have to give some skin here and it’s just part of the business. In my mind it was inevitable and part of the business. I understand that.”
When asked about whether he felt there might be any feelings of “unfinished business”, Tortorella said that he thought the team was very close to being competitive again and that he would have liked to have had a chance to “be a part of the solution in trying to get things turned around”. He also said that the one aspect he would miss the most was his relationship with the players.
“I’ll miss especially being around the players because we’ve gone through ups and downs as a group of men for a long time here, but I think, especially with the core, we’ve come to an understanding and I think there is a mutual respect there,” he said. “There is definitely respect on my part to them.”
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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