The Philadelphia Flyer’s head coach, John Tortorella, added another notable achievement to his already impressive resume in the NHL. Friday night’s game against the Seattle Kraken was Tortorella’s 1,500th game as a head coach in the league.
Tortorella became only the eighth head coach in the NHL with 1,500 games in charge. He is also the first United States-born head coach to reach the mark in the history of the league.
Unfortunately for Tortorella, the Kraken ended up spoiling his big night by getting a 2-1 win in overtime.
“The only thing I’m thankful (for is) that people have entrusted me, to let me work with athletes,” Tortorella said about the milestone. “It’s been my life. I appreciate people having a little faith in allowing me to work with them, that’s all. I don’t give a s— about the number. I just like coaching, I like being around the players, and I really appreciate and am humbled by the opportunities I’ve been given.”
John Tortorella started his coaching career in the NHL during the 1999-00 season with a brief stint as a head coach of the New York Rangers. He landed with the Tampa Bay Lightning next season as a mid-season hire and went on to spend six years with the franchise, winning a Stanley Cup in 2003-04.
Tortorella later also coached the Rangers again while spending time with the Vancouver Canucks and the Columbus Blue Jackets before taking over the Flyers ahead of the 2022–23 campaign. The 65-year-old coach has a 723-590-37-150 record as a head coach in the NHL.
