Written by Sam Devlin at The Sports Quotient
Last year, the Blue Jackets finished the regular season with an impressive streak of 15-1-1 and still managed to miss the playoffs. During the first critical months of the season, the Jackets failed to earn those extra points that would have helped them reach the postseason. With the addition of star winger Brandon Saad, the Jackets had high expectations for this season; however, they had another unimaginably bad start yet again.
Under former head coach Todd Richards, the Jackets lost seven consecutive games and found themselves in last place in the Metropolitan Division last season. Richards frequently mixed up the lines, trying to generate some offensive production, but none of his tactics worked. The team, especially goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, struggled mightily, and Richards was fired and replaced by John Tortorella.
When Tortorella arrived in Columbus, he had 446 victories under his belt, making him arguably the most successful American coach in NHL history. He won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004 and went to the 2012 Eastern Conference Final with the New York Rangers. Recently, Tortorella was even selected to be the head coach of Team USA for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Tortorella has a reputation for being strong-willed, demanding, and tough on his players. His last job – head coach of the Vancouver Canucks – didn’t end well for either party. The Canucks missed the playoffs in 2013-14, and Tortorella was fired. Vancouver’s locker room, composed of skilled veterans like Daniel and Henrik Sedin, didn’t seem to agree with his coaching style and fiery personality.
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