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John Tortorella Not Returning to Blue Jackets Next Season

As per reports by multiple sources, John Tortorella has agreed to leave the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday after six seasons as coach.

As per reports by multiple sources, along with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic and NHL.com, John Tortorella has agreed to leave the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday after six seasons as coach. No replacement was named but the team is aware that it is not his intention to return to the team.

A tumultuous season for the Blue Jackets comes to a close and Tortorella will look to find a new home somewhere else next season. Elliotte Friedman noted that does not plan to retire at the age of 63 years old. He will look to land another coaching job with another hockey club.

Portzline writes on his recent Athletic column:

The winningest coach in franchise history decided to move on when his contract expires this offseason, ending a six-year run in Columbus that included four playoff berths, the first playoff series win in franchise history, and some memorable and turbulent moments along the way.

Tortorella will be remembered in Columbus as one of the franchise’s most controversial coaches, but also a direct personality the earned a lot of respect over the course of his six seasons. Not every player that came in and out of the organization was on the same page and the man in charge, but most matured into better players and that was Tortorella’s goal. He didn’t care what the media thought, he built a system that every player had to adhere to or they didn’t play and his former players have said nothing but great things about him, even if it seemed clear a parting of the ways might be the best course of action.

John Tortorella Blue Jackets coach
John Tortorella Blue Jackets coach

Tortorella Says Goodbye

During his final game with the team on Saturday, Tortorella brought a number of his other coaches on the bench with him to be part of the game. After the game, he said:

“After discussion and consideration of the future direction of the team, Jarmo and I have come to a mutual agreement to part ways. I’d like to thank the Columbus Blue Jackets organization for the opportunity to coach this team and live in the great Columbus-area. It has been a privilege to work with the players, coaches and hockey operations staff, which is one of the best in the League. Also, I want to thank the CBJ fans and the community for the support they’ve given the team and for the work of the CBJ family in support of the community.”

Where he winds up will be interesting to see and we’re going to have a future article on the most likely candidates. Tortorella was 227-166-54 in the regular season and 13-18 in the playoffs coaching the Blue Jackets. 

Next: Oilers’ Connor McDavid Hits 100 Points in 53 Games: Best in 25 Years

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