Vancouver Canucks hire coach John Tortorella

[Arachnid]

I have a feeling that if this was the owners' decision, Tortorella would have been announced as the coach a long time ago. This has the feel of Gillis' deliberate process even if Torts was Gillis' first choice all along. Go figure, as soon as Tippett re-signed in Phoenix all of a sudden coaches were being announced left, right and centre.

As for Tortorella himself, I don't think we'll see quite the same show we saw on Broadway here. Whether it's through introspection and self-analysis after getting fired or knowing this may be his last waltz in the NHL coaching ranks if he screws up in Vancouver, Tortorella has to know he needs to tune up and change his approach somewhat. Not to say I'm expecting a Bizarro version of Tortorella, but we'll see how much this tiger can change his stripes.

I just hope we see something more like the "safe is death" Tortorella style of play, as opposed to the low-scoring muck he deployed in New York.

All that said, I'm grabbing my helmet, tightening my lap-belt and holding on. Don't know where Tortorella train will end up, but the ride won't be boring.

Iron Mike faced the same thing and look what happened, a Tiger can't change it's stripes...

[Lancer]

I have a feeling that if this was the owners' decision, Tortorella would have been announced as the coach a long time ago. This has the feel of Gillis' deliberate process even if Torts was Gillis' first choice all along. Go figure, as soon as Tippett re-signed in Phoenix all of a sudden coaches were being announced left, right and centre.

As for Tortorella himself, I don't think we'll see quite the same show we saw on Broadway here. Whether it's through introspection and self-analysis after getting fired or knowing this may be his last waltz in the NHL coaching ranks if he screws up in Vancouver, Tortorella has to know he needs to tune up and change his approach somewhat. Not to say I'm expecting a Bizarro version of Tortorella, but we'll see how much this tiger can change his stripes.

I just hope we see something more like the "safe is death" Tortorella style of play, as opposed to the low-scoring muck he deployed in New York.

All that said, I'm grabbing my helmet, tightening my lap-belt and holding on. Don't know where Tortorella train will end up, but the ride won't be boring.

Iron Mike faced the same thing and look what happened, a Tiger can't change it's stripes...

I may hate finding the answer to this question, but you have to ask yourself if lightning really can't strike twice here. No doubt Torts has a healthy ego, but even he knows what happened to Keenan, right? At least he doesn't have aspirations of being a GM as well, and there's no modern-day Messier to come in and frag the dressing room.

or is there???

[coco_canuck]

The Keenan comparison is a lazy one.

Iron Mike used to be a legitimate madman.

Torts is definitely hot tempered, but he's an emotional Italian who also has a softer side. He's not quite the taskmaster people may think he is but the guy is an ASSHOLE.

Simply "not having it tonight" won't be accepted but don't expect the buffoonery Keenan indulged in.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I don't expect Torts to coach this team like he did the Rangers. I'd wager a guess we're going to see pretty aggressive forecheck and pressure system.

[coco_canuck]

You've seen it I'm sure. They are acting like a herd of buffalo about to be run off a cliff.

Iain MacIntyre and Ed Willes aren't happy about losing the easy going media-AV who the scribes were comfortable around.

I imagine Torts will be less abrasive with the media than in the past but life isn't going to be the same for the Van talking heads.

LOL

[Hockey Widow]

Torts and Brooks had a thing going that was mutually beneficial. They were like Laurel and hardy but with an asshole edge to them. It was comic relief.

Torts is abrasive no question but I think he can tone it down if he needs to. I'm not concerned about the media interface I am more concerned about him publicly shiyying on players. Thats the part he needs to tone down. But I for one will be pleased with a coach that makes his players accountable. Too many nights too many core players took the night off and AV never held them accountable. Too many core players got too many passes when the younger kids were afraid to make mistakes and get sent back to the minors.

I hope he has the balls to break up the twins to see if he can create two balanced lines that way. We all remember that Hank had his best offensive year when Dank broke his leg. I don't know if it is a permanent solution but its one I'd like to see a coach try.

But if we thought AV and his line juggling was nuts well, Torts is worse. Some things won't change.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

"Take it for what it's worth" - Well, it's worth shit!

Shit which these dumfucks clearly pulled out of their respective asses.

When Torts was first mentioned by HW as the rumoured #1 Gillis choice, yours truly considered the possibility.

"Italian Connection".

Then "common sense" took over.

Clearly these Sports Talk dumfucks are lacking in common sense.

Sometimes, I can't tell if your being serious or joking.

Anyways, Ian Mac of the Vancouver Sun brought up the same speculation today.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/hock ... story.html

But yeah, think what u want.

[Strangelove]

Ian Mac of the Vancouver Sun brought up the same speculation today.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/hock ... story.html

.... because speculation, as they say, sells newspapers?

Iain Mac is simply asking the question:

“What if Aquaman is pulling the strings on the coaching selection?”

(or words to that effect).

If he's not asking the question in order to "sell newspapers"

... then he's asking because he's a moron (entirely possible).

It's really that simple.

WHY would Gillis allow his boss to turn him into a puppet?

See, Gillis has a lot more to lose by allowing himself to be turned into a puppet than he does by being fired.

Like ewww neeeewwww what would he do for a living if he got fired???

THINK about it, cuz if I have to explain this any further, it's gonna get real ugly good buddy.

And I hate "ugly" don't you?

I know that to guys like you these schmucks are gods and I DO feel bad about pissing all over your gods

... but honestly, these hacks are no smarter than YOU are.... Todd.

Hey, here's what yet another hack had to say about dat dere:

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Gilli ... z2Wy4mZeUr

Fans who are sick of the middle-of-the-pack mentality where the Canucks always seem to have been except for the 2010-11 season when they were clearly the best team in the league should be celebrating this hire. John Stevens, the other significant candidate, is a good coach and would have been a safer choice. But with ownership involved and wanting some sizzle to sell, Gillis's desire to win and not to play safe or worry about his job overcame the day.

So wotcha gunna do now Todd, your gods are at war!

And y'know what?

The hacks in Vancouver are NOT good at war.

It's gonna be a blood bath when my man Torts becomes THE man.

[Hockey Widow]

I think it was both MG and ownership that knew AV's time had come. I think Torts was a choice that both had high on their list should he become available. I don't think he was a choice MG could not live with. Maybe it wasn't his first choice but he has always said the team is run by team management. I take that to mean we have active ownership in the process but I also think the final decision is MG's to make.

I can't see him as a puppet in all of this. He was the one that held the exit interviews not ownership. It was after those exit interviews that word began to leak that Torts was their guy. This came from MG to the players. I just don't see him as a suck ass in this process. Ya maybe ownership said that was the guy they wanted but at the end of the day it is MG that has to make the final decision.

[Arachnid]

The Keenan comparison is a lazy one.

Iron Mike used to be a legitimate madman.

Torts is definitely hot tempered, but he's an emotional Italian who also has a softer side. He's not quite the taskmaster people may think he is but the guy is an ASSHOLE.

Simply "not having it tonight" won't be accepted but don't expect the buffoonery Keenan indulged in.

As I mentioned in the other thread, I don't expect Torts to coach this team like he did the Rangers. I'd wager a guess we're going to see pretty aggressive forecheck and pressure system.

That's plain stupid reasoning and if you read it properly (which I highly doubt) the comparison was that coaches don't change. They don't have some epiphany that changes thier core being or personality. JT will always wear his heart on his sleeve, that's who he is and don't expect anything different here. It makes each coach successful or not.

Keenan was the same. He never learned or changed.

[Aaronp18]

They also brought up an interesting question. When AV called out Kesler a few times in the past, Kes got really defensive and fired back. It's going to be really interesting to see how Kesler reacts when Torts criticizes Kes.

Excuse my language but fuck Kesler and any other player that cries when he is called out. Maybe he wouldn't be called out if he was playing his game like he is paid to. Way too many wimps on this team and if anything Tortorella will hold them more accountable.

AV and Torts do things differently on many fronts. AV liked to let his associates deal with the players directly, apparently he liked to have a bit of a buffer in that player coach relationship.

This is where I think guys like Kesler had issues, AV would not deal with them directly all the time and would then speak about specific players through the media.

Torts lets you know exactly where he stands, he deals directly with players and many guys prefer this method. He usually will employ an associate to act as the good cop but that not really out of the ordinary for a guy with a personality like Torts.

He's demanding, I know a guy that attended a couple of his training camps. It starts there, he expects you to be in top physical condition coming into camp and will ask players to prove it (obviously where Brad Richards fell short this year). His camps are notoriously tough, hence the Camp Torturella nickname.

This may be exactly what this team needs, more accountability, no more "it's just part of the process", rewards for hard work. For the most part that's all anyone wants really, when you put in the effort you want to be recognized for it!

[the Dogsalmon]

this is ok with me...lets see how he does...

[Todd Bersnoozi]

If he's not asking the question in order to "sell newspapers"

... then he's asking because he's a moron (entirely possible).

It's really that simple.

Sure, maybe he's trying to sell papers, but he's not the only one who brought up the speculation. Throw in Russell, his guest (Zimmer?) and even Brook Ward said it today. I wouldn't call them morons. If anything, I'd say they're intelligent guys who have been in the business for a long time and they talk to Canuck personel (Gillis, Aquaman, AV, Torts soon) on a daily basis and can read their body language, while we can only hear/follow what the Canucks say from afar. Media guys also have their connections inside the business and they can provide inside scoops with stories and information that we'd have no way of ever knowing.

WHY would Gillis allow his boss to turn him into a puppet?

See, Gillis has a lot more to lose by allowing himself to be turned into a puppet than he does by being fired.

Like ewww neeeewwww what would he do for a living if he got fired???

THINK about it, cuz if I have to explain this any further, it's gonna get real ugly good buddy.

And I hate "ugly" don't you?

I dunno. I never really saw Gillis as a standup/decisive kind of guy. If Burkie felt his power in managing a team was undermined, he'd say: "screw this. I fucking quit". With Gillis, I can see him saying: "sure Franceso, u and your brothers can sit in the coach interviews. U guys can have input on the new coach. U guys like Torts? Yeah, he's good, I think I can work with him." Maybe puppet is a strong word. Gillis would probably use the word "committe" (word I have heard form him before). Gillis is known for taking pain-stalking long to make his decisions. Whether it be to keep AV, fire AV, bring in new scouts, whatever. When it was announced that AV was finally fired recently, it was only because it was leaked to the eastern media and gilllis had to finally react to it by having a press conference. From what I know, he was not really pleased to be forced to finally anounce it.

I know that to guys like you these schmucks are gods and I DO feel bad about pissing all over your gods

... but honestly, these hacks are no smarter than YOU are.... Todd.

I respect the work of the media, but I wouldn't call them my "gods". I believe in the freedom of the press, and I like looking at critiques, different opinions, different ideas and even speculation. There are some members of the media who are definitly pro-Canucks and never say anything bad about Gillis and the Canucks aka: house radio, the "dog and pony show". Unlike u, I'm glad there are free thinkers out there who will criticizie the canucks and write/say what they think. Sure, they may be wrong, but I'm glad they put out a different opinion out there. U may call them my "gods" or u may label them "hacks", I just refer to them as members of the media. Some I like, some not so much. Like all of us, they're all human so they can make mistakes, have biases or have an agenda. So, I really don't have any personal attachment to them, so piss on them all u want. I really don't care. Honestly, if u thought what they had to say was a pile of shit, I'd luv to hear u bebunk them. I like looking at all sides of the coin. But, I dunno, everything with u seems so personal, sometimes u seem all over the place and u seem to try to lead ppl to your point rather than just coming out and say it, so it's hard to clearly see your point sometimes. Like I said before, alot of the time, I don't know if your serious or just joking around.

Anyways, I must admit, I like conspiracy theories. It could be totally out to lunch or it maybe secretly true, but nothing wrong with talking about it and thinking about it. Maybe Gillis is a puppet, maybe he has total autonomy in managing this team. In the end, none of us are sitting in the room during the interviews, so none of us really know. U maybe right, the "hacks" maybe right.... but in the end, all we can do is "speculate".

[BurningBeard]

Crawford and Keenan have taken similar photos, no?

Some people seem to be conveniently forgetting that someone else from the Rangers came shortly after Keenan. There were many reasons that "reign" was a complete cluster. It simply wasn't because the Nucks brought on a coach who liked to bust balls in the locker room, there was also some other guy... and I think he was touching them.

When Torts is named GM I'll start getting worried.

Crawford liked to bust balls too and that turned out alright. Why aren't people comparing those two coaches? Oh, I forgot, papers to sell.

[BurningBeard]

Sure, maybe he's trying to sell papers, but he's not the only one who brought up the speculation. Throw in Russell, his guest (Zimmer?) and even Brook Ward said it today. I wouldn't call them morons. If anything, I'd say they're intelligent guys who have been in the business for a long time and they talk to Canuck personel (Gillis, Aquaman, AV, Torts soon) on a daily basis and can read their body language, while we can only hear/follow what the Canucks say from afar.

Yes, that's called building a narrative, and if you pay attention the media does it all the time. You're right, they're extremely intelligent guys, and they know exactly what they're doing, they're reporting on each other. It's an incestual relationship.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Brook Ward and Dan Russel are intelligent. I've heard it all.