Your John Tortorella Media Exchange Of The Week

((HT: Hockey Webcast))

The HQ has had to deal with New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella on a few occasions when we've covered his old team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's not the kind of coach that will deal with shenanigans or stupid questions.

If you don't know hockey, or haven't been paying attention, he'll let you have it.
And we totally dig that...

In the Rangers 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, his star scorer Marian Gaborik dropped gloves with Daniel Carcillo- who has been known to drop with anyone short of his own mother if he needs to... and Carcillo got the best of the fight with seven straight rights...

((HT: MSG/NHL))


Carcillo is a Flyer for one reason, but Gaborik is a Ranger who doesn't fight...
Torts wasn't happy with the Flyers bench, either... the whole thing was a mess. The HQ is of the mind that Torts was well within his rights to kvetch on this one.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post has evolved into one of Tort's un-favorites...
As evidenced by the postgame scrum...
((HT: MSG/NHL again))

Stevens Out As Flyers Coach

Peter Laviolette is in...

John Stevens was a model of a guy who came up through the minor league system to be a head coach at the pro level. After his successes with the AHL Phantoms across the parking lot, he was promoted to the head coaching position.

But, the city of Philadelphia being what it is, Stevens is now out as head coach after the Flyers lost three straight and six of their last seven.

So much for the guy who took the team to the Eastern Conference title series in 2007, right...???

Peter Laviolette is the new bench boss...
GM Paul Holmgren made the decision and it was his alone...

Joe Staszak got to stand in front of a monitor to discuss...
((HT: WTXF-TV/MyFoxPhilly))


Part of the statement from the Flyers reads:

"I know this was a very difficult decision for Paul to make. And, I really feel bad for John because he's been a terrific long-time member of our organization," said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider. "I was hoping that the team would play better and that this could have been avoided, but after last night's game, I think Paul felt he had to make this change. I make it a policy never to overrule my general manager, because once I do, it means I've lost confidence in him. I really want to wish John the best."

“John has always been a member of the Flyers family, and always will, and that’s why this was a very hard decision for us to make,” said Comcast-Spectacor President Peter A. Luukko. “He was drafted by the Flyers and literally grew up within our organization. He won a Calder Cup with the Phantoms, both as a player and as our coach. He then became an assistant coach of the Flyers and eventually our head coach. We wish him and his family nothing but the best.”

“This was a very difficult decision for me to make given my relationship with John. I want to thank him for his service to the Flyers organization over the years. However, in watching the team over the past few weeks I felt a new voice was needed in order to get us out of this and in the direction we expect,” said Holmgren. “Peter Laviolette brings experience along with a different approach to the game. We look forward to him putting his stamp on the team quickly and getting our team headed in the right direction.”

Whether or not Laviolette can be like Stevens, who turned the team around from a Ken Hitchcock-based 1-6-1 start in 2006, remains to be seen. Stevens did the turn with his guys from the Phantoms.

Laviolette gets high-priced hired guns...
What's wrong with this picture...???

Black Wednesday- Busy Day For Pink Slips

You already know about Tuberville...
Let's slide to the NBA where Sam Mitchell ((pictured, thanks Tom Mihalik/AP)) got the boot after one of the worst losses in Toronto Raptors history the night before.

"It is safe to say that after the debacle that we all witnessed last night against Denver, a 39-point loss, not to mention several other incidents this early season where we gave up double-digit leads or had mental breakdowns, with respect to the effort on the court, you come to a point where you realize some of the things you want to see out on the court are not taking place," Raptors GM Brian Colangelo said.

Mitchell elected not to lash out at the players following Tuesday's setback, preferring to let them discuss it among themselves.

"For me, now, it is not a time to be screaming and yelling," Mitchell told reporters outside the locker-room. "It is a time to be trying to teach and reassure people."

Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon and newcomer Jermaine O'Neal reportedly chaired the players' meeting.

"It is embarrassing not only for us, but for those who support the Toronto Raptors, the organization, the city and the country," O'Neal said. "That should never happen.

"This is a business, we get paid a heck of a lot of money to play a certain way. If we think we can turn it on and off like that, then we're fooling ourselves."

Jay Triano takes over as the bench boss in the T-Dot...

In the NHL, meet the new boss- same as the old boss...

Peter Laviolette is out as the Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach.
Paul Maurice ((pictured, thanks Gerry Broome/AP)) is back in as the Carolina Hurricanes Head Coach.

"We have a team that right now that, in my opinion, is not playing with the kind of confidence it needs," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said. "We've lost that confidence."
In another move, one-time Hurricanes centre Ron Francis was named associate coach while the remainder of the club's coaching staff will remain in place.

"This is a real strong addition with Paul and Ronnie leading our coaching staff," Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "As we go into a very tough group of games in December, my hope is that the coaches make minor adjustments to the system and the players regain their confidence."
Laviolette went 167-130-30 with Carolina and leaves with 2 1/2 years left on the five-year contract he signed in June 2006 shortly after winning the Stanley Cup.