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Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella achieved an important milestone on Saturday, March 19, 2016. Tortorella became the 26th coach in NHL history, 10th active, to coach 1,000 regular-season games when the Jackets beat the New Jersey Devils 6-3 at Nationwide Arena.
The 57-year-old, John Tortorella, is 475-402-123 in 15 seasons; he is 29-27-8 with Columbus since taking over for Todd Richards on Oct. 21 after the Blue Jackets started this season 0-7-0.
He started his career as an NHL head coach in 2000, at the age of 41, with the New York Rangers for the last four games of the season, as their interim head coach after the Rangers fired John Muckler. In the last four games, the Rangers went 0-3-1.
He served as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2000-2008, winning the Jack Adams Award for the coach of the year and the Stanley Cup in the 2003-2004 season. John Tortorella was fired at the end of the 2007-2008 season with one year left on his contract, after the Lightning went 31-42-9 and finishing 5th in the Southeast Division. The Lightning were 239-222-74 and made the playoffs four times under Tortorella.
John Tortorella would go on to be the head coach of the New York Rangers once again, but this time for more than four games. He coached the Rangers from 2008-2013. The Rangers were 171-115-29 and made the playoffs four times under Tortorella.
John Tortorella served as the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks for the 2013-14 season. The Canucks were 36-35-11 and finished 5th in the Pacific Division, failing to make the playoffs. Tortorella was fired after not achieving the results the management want for that season.
After leaving the Canucks, he wondered if he would get another chance. It came when his long-time friend and Blue Jackets president of hockey operations, John Davidson, called him late at night, after Columbus lost 4-0 to the New York Islanders on Oct. 20, 2015. The next morning, Tortorella was introduced as Blue Jackets coach.
Tortorella, who will coach Team USA in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in September,is the fourth coach to reach the 1000 regular season games milestone this season. New York Rangers’ coach Alain Vigneault coached his 1000th on December 11, 2015 in Edmonton against the Oilers, the Arizona Coyotes’ coach Dave Tippett coached his 1000th on February 2, 2016 vs. the Los Angeles Kings, and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ coach Mike Babcock coached his 1000th on February 4, 2016 vs. the New Jersey Devils.
Although the Blue Jackets will not make the playoffs this season, John Tortorella is still very passionate about his job. Tortorella said his satisfaction in coaching cannot be measured by wins and losses.
SportsPress 