Columbus Blue Jackets need fiery coach John Tortorella to light a spark

On the plus side, his teams usually play well. Tortorella won a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay. He is blunt and tough on players, some say, getting the most from them, Gregg Patton writes.

Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, centre, leads his team against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on October 24, 2015 in Denver, Colorado.   Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
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John Tortorella is back in the NHL. Duck, cover up and put in your earplugs.

The fiery former coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks has been hired to right the ship in Columbus, where the Blue Jackets lost their first seven games, then lost one more under Tortorella.

He then, presumably, scared the living daylights out of the Jackets and they beat the Colorado Avalanche in game No 9.

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Tortorella comes with all the explosive baggage of an oil field firefighter. When last seen behind the bench, in 2014 in Vancouver, he was suspended 15 games for trying to enter the Calgary Flames dressing room, during the first period intermission. He objected to the Flames’ starting line-up.

That was after he said he had turned over a new leaf. The old “leaf” included:

• A US$30,000 (Dh110,194) fine for suggesting a TV network and game officials conspired to send a Winter Classic game to overtime.

• A suspension for getting into a physical altercation with Washington Capitals fans during a game.

• A fine for swearing at and threatening a reporter during a post-season press conference.

On the plus side, his teams usually play well.

He won a Stanley Cup in Tampa. He is blunt and tough on players, some say, getting the most from them.

Of course, the downside is that he rubs people the wrong way, including his players who tend to respond to his fire at first, before, eventually, ducking, covering and putting in earplugs.

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