Well the John Tortorella aka. “The Barking Dog” era sure lasted long in Vancouver. One season is all that was needed to justify to Canuck fans why Mike Gillis had absolutely no idea what he was doing when he hired the controversial coach. It all makes complete sense, considering this past year was one of the worst seasons in recent Canuck memory (seeing the Canucks finished beside the pitiful Oilers and Flames at the bottom of the Western Conference).
Trevor Linden, the new president of hockey operations in Vancouver, announced that he had relieved Tortorella of his coaching duties, along with assistant coach Mike Sullivan. Stating “on behalf of the entire organization, we extend our thanks to John, Mike and their families for their commitment to the Canucks and we wish them the best.”
For Canuck fans, this is going to be a very soothing piece of news, and something that won’t come as a shock. When Linden was brought in to man the organization’s throne in Vancouver, changes were expected, and expected to happen quickly. The dismissal of Tortorella is just the first step in a massive coaching and management overhaul. Linden adding, “Our General Manager search is underway and we will begin assessing head coaching candidates immediately.”
It’s rebuilding time in Vancouver (at least from a management perspective), but with the city’s hero, Trevor Linden, as the one building the blueprint, Canuck fans can breathe easy knowing that their team is in good hands.
For those that missed some of Torts’ antics from his fling in Vancouver, some highlights include: charging the Flames dressing room after the game as if he was resident bully on the playground that resulted in a massive suspension. Then there were the straight forward interviews where he described his team’s system in his typical forthright, “let’s play simple hockey” mantra. And lets not forget, the incessant TV images of Tortorella yapping on the bench like some sort of exploding Warhead candy.
So long Tortorella. You will not be missed.
