Former Vancouver Canuck Nearly Dropped the Gloves with John Tortorella at Practice
Ryan Kesler recently appeared on Spittin' Chiclets and told a bunch of stories about his time in the NHL. Starting out in Vancouver, Kesler played 655 games for the Canucks over ten seasons, including their heartbreaking Stanley Cup Final defeat in 2011.
Kesler's time in Vancouver overlapped with John Tortorella's for just one season, but the two sides got to know each other pretty well. Kesler told one story about a time where Torts singled him out in a video session, which resulted in an 'eff-you' match. The next day on the ice, a fight almost broke out between the two:
Lo and behold, both of them would be out of Vancouver the following summer. Funny how life works sometimes, eh?
Tortorella's methods of coaching are the NHL's last remaining remnants of the old-guard at the head coaching position. His ability to communicate and get through to players is unmatched; no coach's players play for their coach like Torts' players. The guy knows how to fire the boys up, but his personality is not for the feeble-minded, to be sure.
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