By Jordan Long
The NHL is heading into the final games of the season for a few of the teams. Others whose year didn’t stop because of COVID are done or waiting for the playoffs to start. In any case, two coaches have been let go due to their teams’ poor play, Arizona Coyotes’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet and Columbus Blue Jackets’ John Tortorella.
Rick Tocchet’s firing is puzzling out of the two. He has been the Head Coach of Arizona since the start of the 2017 season. His record is 125-131-34 in the desert. Last year, they even made the playoffs for the first time since 2012. It was a first-round exit but they still managed to earn a playoff spot. This year, the Coyotes ended with a 24-26-6 record, a total of 54 points.
According to usatoday.com, General Manager Bill Armstrong said, “After meeting with Rick, we have agreed that a coaching change is in the best interest of the club. This was a very difficult decision, but we believe that it is time for a new direction and new leadership. Rick is a very good coach and an incredible person, and we sincerely appreciate all his hard work and dedication to the Coyotes the past four years. We are grateful for everything that he has done for our organization and wish him the best of luck in the future.”
Tocchet needed one more year to show this season was a fluke. It was an odd season because of COVID. He could have been behind the bench to begin the 2021-2022 season. If it started to go south then let him go. Canning him now seems like a panic move. The Coyotes would like to be in the playoffs year in and year out but Tocchet at least got them there once. The Coyotes will now look for their next Head Coach. Tocchet is out of a job and hopefully will get another chance.
John Tortorella’ firing makes more sense out of the two. Tortorella has been with Columbus for the past 6 years. The Jackets were hoping Tortorella would turn this franchise into a winner with deep runs in the playoffs. He was hired prior to the 2015 season.
Tortorella, including this year, posted a record of 227-166-54 with Columbus, a winning percentage of .568. The Jackets ended up in the postseason 4 out of the 6 years with Tortorella. The furthest they went was the 2nd round in 2019.
This season they expected a deep playoff run. Unfortunately, the opposite happened. Tortorella coached them to a disappointing 18-26-12 for 48 points, last in the Central Division. Columbus and Tortorella decided to part ways. Tortorella’s contract was set to expire once the season was over.
Both of these coaches may have another opportunity. Tocchet might have to serve as an assistant coach on another teams’ staff. This would help him learn from his mistakes. He proved he can coach in this league, but taking a year or two to be an assistant wouldn’t be the worst thing.
Tortorella could be in the running to be Seattle’s first Head Coach or another vacancy. He has 20 years of NHL Head Coaching experience. His teams managed to earn a playoff spot 12 times and he won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He is worth the risk.
Both of these coaches will have to wait until the playoffs are over. They both should be behind a bench once the 2021-2022 season begins. Time will only tell where they end up.
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