Flyers head coach John Tortorella makes himself a healthy scratch...again
For the second time in less than a week, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella won't be behind his team's bench, opting to make himself a 'healthy scratch' of sorts.
The NHL Coaches' Association announced the news on their Twitter account on Tuesday morning, stating that Flyers assistant coach Rocky Thompson will be the bench boss for their game tonight in St. Louis against the Blues.
It's interesting to see Tortorella take this approach as the season winds down as it not only gives his assistants an opportunity to lead an NHL bench, but also gives himself the chance to watch his team from a different perspective, while speaking with their general manager, Danny Briere, likely about what to do this summer and going into the 2023-24 campaign.
When Tortorella was brought in by the Flyers back in June 2022, he revealed that his coaching career would end with Philadelphia. So it begs the question, could Tortorella be using these nights in the press box with Briere to gear up for a job in management? We've already seen one high-profile head coach do the same, with Barry Trotz becoming the Predators' general manager this summer.
Rocky Thompson will stand behind the @NHLFlyers bench tonight as acting Head Coach as they take on the @StLouisBlues, marking only a handful of times two First Nations coaches have faced off against each other in the #NHL.
Tortorella will be watching the game from the press box. pic.twitter.com/JEiPhuAc1g— NHL Coaches' Association (@NHLCoachesAssoc) April 4, 2023
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