Everybody who loves hockey knows who John Tortorella is. Not only is he a Stanley Cup-winning coach, but he’s also a well-known hothead who really challenges his players—like that time he tried to fight one inside the locker room.
One Stanley Cup. Two Jack Adams Awards. Ninth-most wins in NHL history. The statistics speak for themselves: John Tortorella knows how to win. And he knows how to get the best out of every player on the roster—something he has proven again and again, no matter what it takes.
Everything it takes
Someone who knows this better than most is Brad Richards, who played ten years under Tortorella with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers. When he was a guest on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast in 2022, Richards revealed just how far Tortorella was willing to go to get the best out of his players.
John Tortorella tried to fight a player
During the early 2000s, Tortorella was coaching the Lightning, who had a lot of great players on the roster—Vincent Lecavalier being one of them.
“He loved when you asked for more ice time. He’d give it to you, but you’d have to prove it real quick. He wanted you to challenge him. He liked that; he wanted some confrontation. He challenged Vinny in the locker room. He took his jacket off, trying to fight him. Vinny stood up, but Dave Andreychuk got in between them. That’s just Torts,” Brad Richards said.
Shortly after, the Tampa Bay Lightning won their first-ever Stanley Cup.
You can watch the clip below.
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