Philadelphia Flyers Hire John Tortorella As Head Coach

PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers have found their next head coach. The Flyers officially hired 63-year-old John Tortorella as their next head coach on Friday.

DONE DEAL: John Tortorella has been named the 23rd head coach in franchise history. https://t.co/Zk04Kk6ZKM
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 17, 2022

The Flyers will hold an introductory press conference for Tortorella at 1 p.m. on Friday.

"I am very excited to be joining such a historic and well-respected franchise like the Philadelphia Flyers," Tortorella said in a release. "From my very first conversation with Chuck, I knew this was the right fit for me and I believe in the direction this team is heading. Having faced the Flyers for several years, I know firsthand how tough of a city Philly is to play in and I look forward to being on the right side of the bench on opening night in front of such a loyal and passionate crowd of Flyers fans."

ESPN reported it's a four-year contract.

Flyers officially (finally) name John Tortarella new head coach.

Hearing he will address the media at 1pm today. @CBSPhilly
— Pat Gallen (@PatGallenCBS3) June 17, 2022

Flyers president of hockey operations and general manager Chuck Fletcher said that Tortorella's vision and style stood out during the interview process.

"I am very happy to bring in John to be the next head coach and voice behind the bench of the Flyers," Fletcher said in a release. "John demands the best out of his players every single game. He is a Stanley Cup Champion and has a lengthy track record of both regular season and playoff success. During the interview process we discussed a number of factors that are crucial to bring this team immediate success and it became clear to me that his vision and style makes him the right person to restore a winning environment to our locker room."

Tortorella comes to Philadelphia with a lengthy résumé and a demanding reputation. He last coached the Blue Jackets in 2021, departing Columbus holding the most wins in franchise history. Tortorella won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004. His Lightning dispatched the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Tortorella coached parts of seven seasons with the Lightning, five years as the New York Rangers' head coach and one season in Vancouver before his six-year stint in Columbus. He comes with a 673-541-37 career coaching record and his teams have made the playoffs in 12 of his 20-year head coaching career.

He served as a hockey analyst for ESPN this past season.