While speaking with the media this week, defenseman Tony DeAngelo expressed his admiration for Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour after signing a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the team. However, DeAngelo didn’t hold back in his criticism of his former coach, John Tortorella, during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers. “The coach and I wound up not fitting together, I guess that would be the main reason,” he said when asked about why it didn’t work out with the Flyers.
Reflecting on his tenure in Philadelphia and why he became the first-ever player to be bought out of an NHL contract twice, DeAngelo revealed his disappointment with Tortorella’s decision to bench him for the final five games of the season. He noted, “He’s the coach of the team, so you’ve gotta respect that, and I respect what he does. Do I agree with it, what happened in the last five games? Absolutely not. I think it’s ridiculous that I didn’t play in the last five.”
Tortorella had previously stated that the player and the Flyers needed to work on DeAngelo’s defensive game, which seemed to have influenced his benching. While DeAngelo might acknowledge that his defensive skills may not be top-notch, his offensive contributions on the ice often compensate for any shortcomings in his own zone. Not in Tortorella’s book and when it came to who would win out, it was the coach. And, despite the Flyers being absolutely terrible, Torts used DeAngelo as an example and refused to play him despite what he might have been able to produce offensively.
Ultimately, the Flyers decided to buy out DeAngelo when a potential trade with Carolina was blocked by the NHL. “We kind of had an idea that if I was going to go anywhere, it would be back to Carolina if possible. So I’m glad it worked out that way.”
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