It's official, Torts to coach U.S. team

We knew it was coming but USA Hockey finally made it official, naming Lightning coach John Tortorella as coach of the United States team at the World Championships that begin May 2 in Halifax and Quebec. Lightning associate coach Mike Sullivan will have the same job with the U.S. team.

Like we said, a nice honor but it does mean you have the time since your team is out of the NHL playoffs.

Here is the release sent by USA Hockey:

COLORADO SPRINGS - John Tortorella has been named head coach of the 2008 U.S. Men’s National Team it was announced today by USA Hockey. The current head coach of the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Tortorella will lead Team USA in the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship May 2-18 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

“We’re certainly pleased to have someone with John Tortorella’s credentials coaching our world championship team,” said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey. “He’s had a lot of success in his career, including winning the Stanley Cup, and knows what it takes to win at the highest level.”

Tortorella was chosen by USA Hockey’s National Team Advisory Group, which is led by Johannson and consists of National Hockey League general managers Brian Burke (Anaheim Ducks), David Poile (Nashville Predators), Ray Shero (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Don Waddell (Atlanta Thrashers).

Tortorella’s only other coaching stint with the U.S. program came when he served as associate coach of the 2005 U.S. Men’s National team that played in the IIHF World Championship in Innsbruck and Vienna, Austria.

“I’m honored to be selected,” said Tortorella, who earlier this season became the all-time winningest American-born coach in NHL history. “It truly is an honor to represent our country and I look forward to the opportunity.”

Tortorella is in his seventh full season as head coach of the Lightning after leading the team to four consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff appearances, its first Eastern Conference and Stanley Cup Championship and two Southeast Division Championships. Voted winner of the 2003-04 Jack Adams Award as the National Hockey League’s top coach after guiding the Lightning to the Stanley Cup, Tortorella’s championship team established franchise records with 46 wins and 106 points before embarking on the successful playoff campaign.

A 17-year National Hockey League coaching veteran, Tortorella became the fourth head coach in team history when he was named to that position on January 6, 2001. The Boston native joined the Lightning organization when he was hired as an associate coach prior to the 2000-01 season.

Tortorella began his playing career at Salem State College before transferring to the University of Maine. He spent three seasons with the Black Bears and was twice named an Eastern College Athletic Conference all star. After playing in Sweden, Tortorella played in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League with Virginia, Hampton Roads and Erie.He spent two seasons as the general manager and head coach of the Virginia Lancers (Atlantic Coast Hockey League) from 1986-87 to 1987-88, where he garnered Coach of the Year honors during both campaigns while leading his ‘86-87 team to the league championship.

Tortorella was hired as an assistant coach with the New Haven Nighthawks of the American Hockey League for the 1988-89 campaign. He became an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres the following season, and remained with the Sabres organization through the 1996-97 season. The Sabres named him the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, prior to the 1995-96 season. His Rochester team won the Calder Cup in 1996 and followed that up with the best record in the AHL’s Northern Conference during the 1996-97 regular season.

Tortorella returned to the NHL in 1997 as an assistant with the Phoenix Coyotes, where he spent two seasons before joining the Rangers for 1999-2000. He served as the Rangers' interim head coach for the final four games of the '99-00 season before joining the Lightning staff.

Tortorella and his wife, Chris, reside in Valrico, with their two children, Brittany and Dominick.

NOTES: Tortorella is the winningest coach in Lightning history and also the winningest American-born coach in NHL history … The players for the 2008 U.S. Men’s National Team as well as additional staff members will be named in the coming weeks … Team USA will conduct a training camp from April 24-30 in Portland, Maine, including a pre-tournament game against Sweden on Sunday, April 27, at 7 p.m. (EDT) at the Cumberland County Civic Center. Tickets for that game can be acquired by visiting www.theciviccenter.com.

Comments

[matt]

Well, good for Tortorella. But he still HAS TO BE FIRED!!!!!! As does FEASTER!!!! His coaching and stlye of play have gone stale here in TPA. Dungy's stlye got old around this town as well. It sure would be nice to hear local sports guys talking about the same thing. Every single print and radio guy in this town seem to cater to Torts and the Bolts. It's a joke!!!! When Dungy was fired(after taking his team to how many playoffs?) their was an article or a conversation every day about the pros and cons of the firing. How about someone actually give a reason why they(Torts and Feaster) shouldn't be fired, without bringing up the ownership situation.

WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE COACH AND GM?

Torts likes to rag on his players to the media constantly, I would love for the players to show him the same lack of class and respect he shows them. Prospal had the stones to do it, all it would take is for Vinny or Marty to do the same and Torts would be bye bye.

[Casper]

I'm going to go back to before Torts ticked me off: with preferential treatment to the cancer we sent to Dallas; the macabre imbalance of ice time due to a distortion in his 'meritology' rule; the failure or abject refusal to adjust the Bolts doctrine to fit the reduced talent level, to include goal tender support; lashing out at management by lambasting his players; playing the sanctimony card in the face of game officials; and I'll just wish him well in this new position.

Just like with Modin, I want him to grab the red-eye back here on the same evening the tourney ends. Why, we’ve got work to do!

Jeez, I really used to like this coach in the highest regard. No one needs to hear it from Ajax and me all over again, we just need some relief of the grief…

Good luck, Coach.

[Voice of the Turtle]

The amazing thing about John Tortorella is that he could have torn a talented team asunder and remained a permanent fixture in his job. In a league where coaches who guide winning teams are fired for not being successful enough, John remains behind the bench after producing three years of abject failure with a talented-loaded NHL hockey team.

Someone pointed out what sportswriters generously fail to indicate: Tortorella has lost more games than any American-born coach in history, and, in fact, he has lost more games than he has won. Sorry folks, but these are the facts.

How this man has parlayed one magically successful year into a fruitful career is beyond any reasoning.

As an American, I fret to think about the implication of John, when agitated, opening up his gutter-mouth to the international press during the USA team's competitions. Never mind the fact that the national team will be strategically handicapped by his Lightning-honed losing ways.

Although profoundly irritated by his behavior as the coach of the Bolts, most fans do not want to see him frustrated by failure. In spite of his faults, we know him to be a decent man, but I think many Tampa hockey supporters wish that he would just GO AWAY (preferably with his buddy, Shamu).

[Herb]

I am one of the ones that would like nothing better to have Torts to just go away along with the Pillsbury Dough Boy. They have out lived their usefulness for this hockey club. The ex #19 deal and the Picard for Prospal deal, takes away some of the sting of having them here though. I will give them credit for that.

[bolts26]

Torts is a very good coach and making the playoffs 4 years in a row, including a stanley cup winning year is a huge accomplishment considering where this franchise was before Torts and Palace sports came in. The fact is, after they won the Stanley cup Torts did not have such a talented loaded NHL team as some of you say, but yet still made the playoffs for 3 seasons after that. Lets face it Khabibulin, Modin, Sydor, Cullimore just to name a few all left and got more money. After that we had Lacavalier, Richards, and St. Louis. We cant blame the coach for that, he coaches who the Team Management provides to him on the ice. He makes his players accountable and he should, after all they are the ones playing in the game. As far as Prospal, Tortorella had every reason to bash him, hes very inconsistent and a very slow skater. Torts will stay because management know that they will loose one of the best coaches today because about 10 NHL teams would be after him if we let him go!

[leo]

Can anyone argue with ANY point in bolt26's post?
Cuz I sure can't.
Love Tortie or not but who can call HIM a quitter?
Post of the day, bolt.
BBR

[bear]

Bolts gave Torts an 04 Camry and one tank of gas. Then they asked him to drive it for 4 years on the same tank.

He would and will find a better NHL gig very quickly.

The guy can be an a**, but he squeezed every drop out of the lemon.

[Patrick]

Casper,

Brad Richards a cancer? Do you have any idea why players in sports are refered to as "cancers"? Apparently not, as Richards was a model player and teammate the entire time he was here. Way to discredit yourself there bud. You've made it obvious again that any take you have on the guy is completely blinded by hate.

You'd think two people who disliked someone on their team as much as Casper and Herb would love to forget about them as soon as the player is gone. But every week you guys find a way to make a reference to him, like you can't help yourselves. Sounds like closet-behavior to me.

[no old geezers]

Wow big BR lover on our hands! Watch out.

[Herb]

Ex #19 was the main reason for the Bolts crappy season this year. A player that gets $7.8 million for mediocrity, while the team is handcuffed by the owners salary cap, left nothing to get a supporting cast. The Bolts got player like Halpern that make everyone else on his line better. High dollar players on every other team makes other players better a la Thornton and Iginla. What's ex #19 done for the Stars after the fluke first game for his new team. Hell it is in the Dallas press about how the deal screwed up the Stars chemistry. I didn't make that up. What has Halpern done(at a quarter of ex #19 salary) for a player like Ouellet. Maybe I should mention that Halpern is scoring points since his arrival. Now the Bolts have (owners set) cap room to sign some players over the summer. Ex #19 got paid for his 1 good season as a Bolt and never lived up to the hype. As Joe Friday would say "Just the facts ma'am".

[bolts26]

Herb,
I agree with your Richards comment 100%, cant agree with your Torts comment though! I think the team still plays great, just hasn't had enough time to gel together and consistent players to finish games. We have almost something like 20 games that we lost by 1 goal either in regulation or over time. I believe with Smith in goal and maybe make a couple more moves before next season we will be back to our winning ways! 1 bad season shouldnt over shadow the 5-6 good seasons that Torts has lead the team to!

[Patrick]

Herb,

Your bias of Richards is coming through loud and clear as usual.

"Richards one good season"
You'd have been closer if you had said Richard's "one bad season". Richards has never scored less than 62 points in an NHL season. By NHL scoring standards, that would mean every season in his career has been "good". However, his salary on his recent contract raised expectations for his offensive production to where 60+ point seasons could no longer be considered "good". He played 1 full season on the lightning after that contract - so you are wildly off the mark.

Oulette's recent success is because he obviously has chemistry with Halpern. How can I conclude that he has chemistry with Halpern? Because he did absolutely nothing all year long no matter who else he played with on the lightning. But of course, all Herb sees is that Brad Richard's was to blame for Oulette not playing well.

"High dollar players like Thornton and Iginla make other players better"
Thornton and Iginla could make Mattieu Darshe, Dmitry Afanasenkov, Eric Perrin, Jason Ward, Jan Hlavac, and the other crap-mates Richards was stuck with for the last two years better? Or would their stats have dropped as well? How about St. Louis having his MVP season with Richards? How about Modin?

From you Herb, it's much more like "Just the bias ma'am".

[ajax]

Patrick you should visit the Dallas Stars blog and see hom many people are already "biased" about Brad being, "invisible" or "floating around the blue line" or "non-existent" 1000 miles away and three weeks later and it is a snapshot of our complaints here. Another quote, "he isn't better than any of the forwards we have and makes 4 million more" Their is one glaring stat in his first 11 games with the Stars, about 18 minutes a night and most if it on the PP. Somehow I don't think they gave up all they did and planned on him playing 18 minutes a night. They have moved him on and off every line they have. Ooops I forgot, Dallas needs better support players for Brad. Say what ya want, we all are dummies and we all have our own crazy opinions, but I think I am pretty safe on this statement. Everyone, and I mean like darn near 100%, likes our side of the trade a heck of alot better than theirs. Disagree??

[erik]

Our hero notched 2 assists last night in a 7-2 blowout of the only team in hockey worse than the Lightning. He centered the THIRD line.

[boltflasher]

BRs $$$ was one the 3 sins that Feaster committed that destroyed the Team that won the cup. At least he fixed that one. If interested those 3 sins were:
1) The Denis trade
2) Signing Denis to big money when he had not even played a game in the Torts system
3) Paying BR more money than anyone else on the team...
There were other minor sins such as not resigning at least one of the group of Kubina, Sarich or Sydor and trading a first round pick for OB, but the 3 above decimated this team and set up the minor sins...

[Casper]

Goldenboy on the *third* (no caps) line?

That's 'meritology' for you...

Patrick, we don't hate the guy. He's a paragon--seriously---a highly regarded member of any community fortunate enough to have him. A sweetheart with the kids and a giant among involved athletes. I have no doubt that spending time this past week with young Michael would have hit Brad in fine stride.

But on the ice one can just too easily tell that the guy is an extended pinky, chardonnay drinker.

Getting that fat contract was grand, all right. But if he couldn't wear the skates of a legend, then he shouldn't have cashed the checks. It's that simple. We hold ourselves---and certainly each other---to a higher standard. He might have petitioned the League for a rule change to renegotiate his contract so everybody wouldn't hate him, or do a self assessment of his skills vs. bloated salary and made more generous contributions to the Kids campaigns. The Times would have gladly helped with that sort of publicity--"Guy makes $7.8M but gives 5 million to local charities." We'd all block I-75 and the airport to keep him from leaving.

That sort of personal integrity was lacking and I bet it affected his sleep---which in turn affected his play.

Yes, I do believe Halpern, Thornton, or Iggy could bring out the best in Afanasenkov, Perrin, and even dumba$$ Artyukhin. (Got to draw the line at Svitov though, nobody could do anything with that...)

[jr]

He's impossible to dislike in the least, let alone hate. I agree his performance vs. salary caused him a lot of personal anguish. It's called having a conscience. Time to move on.

[Patrick]

I don't have a problem with what anyone said about Richards after my last post. Most of what was said sounds pretty reasonable to me.

But some comments like "he is a cancer" are just obscenely wrong. That's the only reason I again started to defend Richards. Comments like those are the only reason I ever started posting on this blog in the first place - to bring the pile-on Richards bashing back to a sane level.

Casper,
Saying they would "bring-out-the-best" in those crappy wingers isn't saying much. Would it be a dependable second scoring line? No. Would Thornton's and Iginla's point totals drop when they are the only ones creating offense on their lines? Yes.

And one thing that Oulette has shown us this year is for a fact that if you stick one talented guy next to a another, you aren't guaranteed to have a good line. Good lines require chemistry between the players, something that is intangible and not measure in stats.

Ajax,
How long has Richards been on the team? Less than 15 games? And some fans are already complaining? Sounds like they are like many other fans in this country - members of an instant gratification society. From what I have heard he has indeed been skating on their third line and on their 1st power play unit for most of the games. However, instead of taking that fact out of context, the reason I had read was is the fact they have two good offensive centers already and didn't want to mess with their existing line's chemistry.

[boltflasher]

Mike Modano and Mike Ribiero are the 1 and 2 centers on that team, though Ribiero could play left wing and has in the past...