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One of hockey’s most notorious coaches could be making his way to the City of Brotherly Love.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, the Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly conducted an interview with Jack Adams winner and current ESPN hockey analyst John Tortorella for the team’s vacant head coaching position.
Tortorella last coached in the NHL in 2021 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, stepping down from the role at the end of that season as the winningest head coach in franchise history with a 227-166-54 record and one playoff series win.
The Flyers, on the other hand, have been searching for a new permanent head coach since December after relieving Alain Vigneault of his duties and installing Mike Yeo to take over in the interim before ultimately deciding not to bring him back at the end of this season.
Tortorella certainly has a track record that would be appealing to a team looking for organizational stability.
The 63-year-old is the winningest American-born coach in NHL history, as well as a two-time Jack Adams winner, and Stanley Cup champion. While Tortorella’s coaching stints tend to not last very long, as his pricky style seems to have an expiration date, Tortorella has proven capable of leading teams to immediate success after stepping behind the bench. And with the Flyers up against the cap with a number of veterans on their roster, immediate success is precisely what they’re looking for.
The Flyers are also expected to interview multiple other candidates in the coming days, including former New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz, who should be the most hotly sought-after bench boss among teams this off-season.
