Altercation Between Cam York and Tortorella Contributed to Firing

More news is coming to light regarding the John Tortorella firing on Friday. Hours after the coach was relieved of his duties, Cam York- who Tortorella has had issues with in the past- dressed for the Flyers but didn’t play Thursday night. It was called a “disciplinary issue.”, but it was revealed there was a lot more going on behind the scenes.

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It was odd for defenseman Cam York to dress but be benched for the entirety of the team’s first game without the former coach. Following the game, interim head coach Brad Shaw confirmed that York’s absence from the ice was due to a “disciplinary issue.” and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli revealed the team would have simply made him a healthy scratch, but the NHL doesn’t allow teams to voluntarily dress a roster short of the required number of players.

What Happened That Cam York Was Being Disciplined?

A report from Kevin Kurz of The Athletic suggested something had happened between York and Tortorella. He wrote:

“Told from a team source that “it’s fair to say” something happened between Cam York and John Tortorella in Toronto, that contributed to the coach’s dismissal on Thursday morning. Was put to me that “they probably both crossed the line.””

Following up on that report, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff offered a bit more insight into what actually happened. He suggested that while details remain scarce, Seravalli clarified that there was no physical altercation, but the exchange became heated enough to warrant disciplinary action against York. It might have also been the final nail in Tortorella’s coaching coffin.

Flyers Had No Choice But to Fire Tortorella

Tortorella’s firing has been widely attributed to comments he made about his lack of “interest” in coach a team like the Flyers. The belief was he’d given up trying to shape a rebuilding club and the organization decided that they couldn’t keep him and hope the players would play for someone who had thrown in the towel. It’s now clear a lot more happened here.

This interaction with York may have been the tipping point in the Flyers’ decision. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the Flyers initially planned to meet with Tortorella on Tuesday to discuss the direction of the team. However, within just 48 hours, tensions escalated to a point where the organization felt compelled to make an immediate change behind the bench.

As for Tortorella’s coaching future, Elliotte Friedman suggested that it could be a while before he finds another opportunity. It’s not clear if Friedman knew the story between York and Tortorella when he added that a team might one day call Torts to push a team over the top. This may change how clubs view him, even though it won’t come as a huge shock he had an issue with a player.

While some organizations might value his ability to motivate a team or press buttons, it’s clear he pushed too hard on York, who didn’t respond appropriately.

For York, the discipline serves as a clear message from the Flyers’ leadership. It’s almost more insulting that the NHL required him to dress because sitting there and having to watch from the bench probably stung more than sitting in the press box.

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