LAS VEGAS (AP) — John Tortorella is having the time of his life. The sharp-tongued coach famous for blowups with the media, players and opponents is headed back to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since leading Tampa Bay to the 2004 title.
He has been with Vegas for all of nine weeks — more than enough time to turn the Golden Knights into an unlikely championship favourite in what could be a bruising series against Carolina.
The 67-year-old Tortorella insists the Knights didn't need much from him, but it's clear this is currently as close as a love affair as you can find between coach and NHL team.
A Newfound Comfort
"I like being with the group," Tortorella said. "It was such a crazy situation several weeks ago. I think they have kind of accepted me. I think they understand me better."
"I certainly understand them better. I feel more comfortable in changing as a coach in order for this to work. The bottom line is we're trying to win. I need to give them what I think they need to help them and get the obstacles away so that they can just play."
Don't expect Tortorella to take the stage at one of Las Vegas' comedy clubs, but he has shown a side to the players the public doesn't see.
"I think he's hilarious," wing Keegan Kolesar said. "I laugh my butt off every day with him in a great way, a positive way. He's very encouraging. It's been great for the team, and we're here for a reason. I think he's been a big part of that."
A Stunning Coaching Change
Tortorella shockingly replaced Bruce Cassidy in late March with just eight games remaining in the regular season.
He made it clear to his new players he was along for the ride with them and they would work together to achieve what at the time seemed more like a fantasy than a realistic goal of playing for the Stanley Cup.
Vegas had dropped from first to third in the Pacific Division by the time Tortorella took over, in danger of missing the post-season for just the second time in the franchise's nine-year history.
But this is a veteran and talented team led by players such as Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, who had guided the Golden Knights to the Cup just three years earlier.
Coaching Philosophy
"You've got to coach the team that you have," Tortorella said. "I think if you coach an older team like you're developing a young team and go through the same stuff, I think you're disrespecting the athlete."
"I think that's got to be a read on the coach's part on how you go about it. I spent one week here, my first week, and I knew what this group was, as far as that's concerned. The coach has to act accordingly."
So Torts, in describing himself and the staff as more like "guidance counsellors," coached with the players and Vegas went on a tear.
The Golden Knights are 19-4-1 under Tortorella, winning the Pacific and then dispatching Utah, Anaheim and Colorado to set up a date in the final.
Tortorella and Cassidy Not So Different
For their apparent differences — Cassidy will gladly go into great detail with the media about the intricacies of hockey while Tortorella makes it clear there are certain topics he won't discuss — there are many similarities.
Cassidy took the Golden Knights to the 2023 Cup by emphasizing a defence that forced shots to the outside, full-team participation in blocking shots and scoring beyond the first and second lines.
That's the exact makeup of this year's team under Tortorella. Plus, both teams received excellent goaltending in the post-season.
But messages can quickly fall on deaf ears in the NHL, and at the time of the coaching change, Stone said "the locker room had gone a little stale."
More than simply a new voice was needed. A new direction. A new relationship with the players.