I personally have never been impressed with John Tortorella. One good thing about Tortorella not being the coach is that Islander fans aren't going to have to listen to Tortorella telling a hockey reporter to eff himself. That is just is not classy.
Tortorella out of Islanders coaching choices
BY GREG LOGAN August 9, 2008
Former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella, who was viewed by many as the most high-profile and possibly most high-priced candidate for the Islanders' head-coaching vacancy, apparently is out of the mix. Money isn't a major issue for Isles owner Charles Wang, but there always was a question whether Tortorella and a team committed to long-term development plan were the right fit for each other.
Islanders general manager Garth Snow is expected to sharply narrow his long list of candidates over the weekend and reach a decision on a successor to Ted Nolan early next week, an NHL source said. When contacted by Newsday, Tortorella politely declined to comment on his role in the Isles' search process.
Although Tortorella was coming off a season in which the Lightning had the worst record in the NHL, he had a winning record in the previous four seasons, including the 2004 Stanley Cup title.
As a former Rangers assistant who also served as head coach for the final four games of the 1999-2000 season, the fiery Tortorella would have added spice to the local rivalry.
But there also would have been a question about whether his hard-charging style and impatience would have worked with a team planning to fill some major roles with developing prospects from the organization.
Tortorella certainly helped turn the Lightning from an also-ran into a power, but that success also means he can take his time waiting for an opening with a team closer to title contention than the Islanders while collecting the final year of his Tampa Bay contract, valued at a reported $1.3 million.
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