John Tortorella on his first impressions of the Flyers locker room, X’s and O’s, and that Trevor Zegras play

In Part 2 of a conversation with The Inquirer, Tortorella discusses his thoughts on the current game and what he learned during his year in the media.

New coach John Tortorella recently met with Flyers season-ticket holders during a visit to Philadelphia.Read moreKate Kizitaff, Comcast Spectacor

by Olivia Reiner and Giana Han

Published July 5, 2022, 5:02 a.m. ET

We recently sat down with new Flyers coach John Tortorella to pick his brain on various topics such as the composition of the roster, his leadership style, and his current viewpoints on the game of hockey. This is part two of our two-part conversation with Tortorella. Part one can be found here in case you missed it.

Q: You have said that you thought that the Flyers locker room was splintered in some ways. Why?

A: I watch. I’ve watched a little tape. Conversations — and not so much with players. It’s not like they’re talking about one another. … But I’ve heard of some experiences that went on last year. And I can’t tell you guys what goes on in that room. You guys get that. But I’ve talked to Chuck [Fletcher], I’ve talked to so many people in the management part that were here. And they just gave me information as far as what went on in certain situations. And you kind of deduce it.

[As a team] you can be really good friends and you go out to dinner and you get along. But [in] a locker room, it’s a different setting. And you need to have a little bit more responsibility in holding one another accountable. I’m not so sure that’s been strong. And that’s something I’m going to have to do. If they’re not going to do it, I’m going to do it. And then hopefully someone run[s] with it. … They’re going to have to take it eventually. I’m going to lead the way to start.

Q: The locker room lost Claude Giroux last season, the longest-tenured captain in team history. I know you said you want to wait until camp to determine the leadership core. Do you see it as a positive to start fresh?

A: I do. And I don’t know Claude that well. … But I think it’s good for our team in that it’s a clean slate. … Maybe Claude not being here, and him being a guy that’s been here for so long and the shadow that he casts on just being ‘That Guy’ in Philly, maybe that’ll let other people open up and kind of spread themselves out a little bit and take control of that [the locker room]. … And I’m anxious to see who that is.

Q: Despite having evolved over your 20 years of coaching in the NHL, what primary principles still hold true to you?

A: The part away from the puck. … I’m surprised no one’s asked me about Trevor Zegras when I was on ESPN, about that goal. I wasn’t complaining about the skill. He’s made some unbelievably skilled plays. I just, I don’t want it [the NHL] to turn into a circus. I don’t want it to be the Harlem Globetrotters. I think it’s a hard league. It’s a league that tests you every night when you play. … you still have to have a mentality.

Steven Stamkos, in the middle of the playoffs, one of the most gifted and talented players, said ‘Defend to the end.’ You know, I wet my pants when I heard him say that because so many people have criticized me about, ‘It’s not about defense, he doesn’t like offense.’ You have to have those principles of the hardness of the game. And yeah, so that. I can talk about that for a while!

Q: You call yourself a teacher and I read that your daughter’s a teacher and your son’s in the military. What have you learned from them in of terms teaching and leading?

A: We’ve had so many conversations. And my kids have grown. … My daughter is a reading specialist out in Long Island for kids that are struggling in the main classroom, she gets to do one-on-one stuff with them. And she’s forming those people. … My son is a leader of men in the Army. And one of the greatest conversations I’ve had with both of them is — it’s always teacher and student, it’s coach and player, it’s a sergeant and private … sometimes when you get the chance to be with them and talk at the same plane, and an opportunity opens up for you, you need to seize that opportunity to let them know you’re human. And be with them. … You need to take every opportunity to be with them. … And then you want your people to pull the rope at the same end.

Pulling the rope at the same end and having belief in one another, far outweighs any of this crap with X’s and O’s. Structure, X’s and O’s, are important, but the belief and knowing you’re going to do it together far outweighs that now. With that situation, as a teacher in the classroom, with the Army, especially in my game, now, with these [modern] athletes … it’s a relationship with players. And when you have a chance to be with them, you need to be with them.

Q: What are some things you’ve learned over the past year while you were working on TV?

A: What I’ve learned is, I like watching coaches. … I’m not good after games with you guys [the media]. I’m not. I probably never will be. But I watched other coaches and … watched how they were after a tough loss. And I know what they’re thinking, ‘This is the last damn place I want to be.’ But I watched how they handled themselves. And I said can I get there? I think it’s the biggest negative on my part … is my emotion. I need to find a way to try to keep it in check a little bit. But also be honest with you. It was really fun for me.

I love watching player interviews. I think players give you a lot of coaches speak. I do. I think they’re boring. … What I learned more is we have a different [type of] athlete. I missed a year. Even from that year, the athlete is changing, and I really tried to tune in on who they are. … There has to be a relationship. I’m going to try to work at that. But I’m not losing my gut as far as ‘OK, enough’s enough.’ …