Flyers’ John Tortorella blasted by Sportscenter host for lack of accountability

Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella has been making headlines on what seems like a weekly basis in 2023-24. He has taken a roster that was widely expected to miss the playoffs in a rebuild year, and has it on the verge of a postseason berth with under two weeks left in the regular-season.

As of April 4, Philly is 36-29-11 and holding onto the No. 3 berth in the Metropolitan Division by a single point on the Washington Capitals. With just six games left in the Flyers’ season, the campaign should be considered a huge success regardless of whether or not the team gets into the dance.

But Tortorella hasn’t been spared from controversy this year, the most head-scratching decision scratching captain Sean Couturier in back-to-back games earlier in the year. Although some love Tortorella and some hate him, you can’t deny the 65-year-old is an effective NHL coach. But one Sportscenter host is having none of his antics.

Bryan Hayes, a Canadian radio and television host for TSN in Toronto, is not at all happy with how Torts has handled himself this year. And he let the bench boss know it.

“It’s never John Tortorella’s fault, it’s always someone else’s fault,” Hayes said on Sportscenter this week, according to NHL Trade Rumors’ Rob Couch.

“It was Sean Couturier, the captain’s fault at one point. It’s been the goaltenders’ fault multiple times…it’s the players’ issues, it’s the softness, it’s the second period, it’s the media…it’s never [John Tortorella’s] issue, it’s somebody else’s.”

It is true that Tortorella has made some interesting decisions, although he has also been able to admit when he’s wrong — something that isn’t easy to do at the professional level.

John Tortorella has Flyers on verge of 1st playoff appearance since 2020