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Maybe it was lack of "interest" or maybe it was just a changing of the guard, but the oldest coach in the NHL was relieved of his duties today.
What many think was a move long overdue, the Philadelphia Flyers fired John Tortorella earlier Thursday.
The decisive blow came when the Flyers were blown out by Toronto 7-2 on Tuesday night. Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, said after the game he was not “really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now.”
“But I have to do a better job,” he said. “So this falls on me, getting the team prepared to play the proper way until we get to the end.”
BetOnline.ag has been updating a betting market for the next NHL coach fired all season. Interestingly, the last update I sent had Tortorella listed at 33/1 so hopefully someone made some moola on those longshot odds.
Brunette was a 1/1 favorite back on January 14 while the current favorite, Mike Sullivan was fourth on the board at 5/1.
Pittsburgh lost another one on Thursday, their third straight (0-2-1) and four of five (1-3-1). The Penguins remained six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Montreal has three games in hand.
“I think the guys are going into the game with the right intentions. We understand the circumstance we're in,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “It's not an easy circumstance. You know, I'm stating the obvious when I say that. None of us want to be here in the situation we're in. But we are. And so it's our responsibility to one another to bring our best every night. And that's what we're trying to do. …
“This team has competed extremely hard here down the stretch. And we've won a bunch of games because of it. And so we've hit a little bump in the road here. We've got to find a way to pull ourselves together and get ready for the next one. But it's not an easy circumstance, though.”
NHL next coach fired odds are subject to change and will be updated in real-time.
Next NHL Coach Fired
Mike Sullivan (PIT) 3/2
Andrew Brunette (NSH) 2/1
Peter Laviolette (NYR) 3/1
Patrick Roy (NYI) 5/1
Lindy Ruff (BUF) 6/1
Greg Cronin (ANA) 16/1
Dan Bylsma (SEA) 16/1
Andre Tourigny (UTA) 25/1
Ryan Warsofsky (SJ) 25/1
Rick Tocchet (VAN) 25/1
Dean Evason (CLB) 25/1
Martin St. Louis (MTL) 33/1
Travis Green (OTT) 40/1
Jared Bednar (COL) 50/1
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