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With nine games left in the season, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that John Tortorella has been “relieved of his duties as head coach.” Brad Shaw, the Flyers’ Associate Coach, will take over the head coaching duties immediately, according to Flyers general manager Daniel Briere. Philadelphia is 28-36-9 and has lost six straight games. Tortorella ends his coaching tenure in Philly with a 97-107-33 record over three seasons.
OFFICIAL: The Flyers have relieved John Tortorella of his duties as head coach. Philadelphia Flyers Associate Coach, Brad Shaw, has been named interim head coach and will assume duties immediately. https://t.co/qJuAybRMFT pic.twitter.com/saaH0u62lT
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 27, 2025
The timing of the dismissal is notable given the Flyers’ recent 0-5 road trip, which ended with a 7-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the loss against the Maple Leafs two nights ago, Tortorella had eyebrow-raising comments for the media. “This falls on me,” Tortorella said. “I’m not really interested in learning coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now. But I have to do a better job. So this falls on me, getting the team prepared to play the proper way until we get to the end.”
As Philadelphia returned home to finish the last extended home stand of the season, the Flyers will be doing so under the direction of Shaw. This will be Shaw’s second stint as an interim head coach. The coach replaced Steve Stirling behind the New York Islanders bench in Jan. 2006. At the halfway mark, the Islanders were 19-18-3 and riding a five-game losing streak. New York finished the season 40-30-12 with a trip to the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they lost to the Buffalo Sabres in five games.
Philadelphia (28-36-9) returns to action tonight as they host the Montreal Canadiens (33-28-9) at Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia at 7 pm EST. While the Flyers are out of the race for the postseason, tonight’s contest is crucial for Montreal as the Canadiens cling to a one-point lead on the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
More must-reads:
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Boston Floated as Landing Spot for Struggling $84M Forward
It’s trade pitch time again, with a whopper of a swap. This time, the proposed blockbuster links the Boston Bruins in a 1-for-1 trade with the Calgary Flames. The pitch comes from Heavy.com and teases a deal where Boston lands Jonathan Huberdeau while Calgary takes back Casey Mittelstadt. On paper, it’s the kind of deal that raises eyebrows. For many, it would revolve around why anyone would want to take on Huberdeau’s contract. Then again, this is the Bruins we’re talking about, and they march to the beat of their own drum. Huberdeau, 32, is entering Year 3 of an eight-year, $84 million contract—one the Flames already appear to regret. He was a key piece coming back in the massive blockbuster that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers, but since arriving in Calgary, he hasn’t come close to the 115-point form he showed in Florida. Still, at 50% salary retention, — which is what the pitch suggests — Huberdeau’s cap hit would drop to around $5.25 million, suddenly making him a much more intriguing fit for Boston. Of course, sending Mittelstadt back in the deal also clears another $5.75 million off the books for Boston. They would actually come out ahead as it pertains to their salary cap. Could Huberdeau Find His Game in Boston? The Bruins, still searching for an offensive spark after missing out on top free agents, might be tempted by the idea of a buy-low swing on a once-proven top-six winger. Huberdeau had 62 points last season, and is three seasons removed from his breakout campaign. A new environment could help Huberdeau rediscover his game, and at half price, the risk becomes a little easier to stomach. But there’s no ignoring the gamble. Huberdeau is on the wrong side of 30, and if his decline accelerates, Boston could be saddled with another aging contract. Still, if he bounces back, this could be the type of high-risk, high-reward trade that reshapes the Eastern Conference race.
Russell Westbrook already made his biggest free-agency mistake
A first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he decides to hang it up, Russell Westbrook has long been revered as one of the NBA's premier point guards, both with his aggressive play and infectious energy. Despite the former MVP's impressive resume, though, he remains unsigned nearly two months after free agency opened on June 30. It's no secret that Westbrook is no longer an All-Star-caliber player, but it's certainly jarring to see his name alongside the summer's other leftovers. Over the last two seasons, Russ has willingly accepted a bench role and shown his ability to contribute even without being the offense's focal point. He finished top-10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting with both the Los Angeles Clippers in 2023-24 and the Denver Nuggets in 2024-25. The Nuggets may have been Westbrook's most seamless fit since the 36-year-old left the Oklahoma City Thunder, which brings us to the key mistake he made this offseason: He decided to bet on himself when his career was trending south. It's understandable why Westbrook decided to decline his player option with Denver. $3.5 million is pocket change relative to today's NBA salaries, so it's possible the nine-time All-Star expected to land a bigger payday on name brand alone. But that's no longer the case with Westbrook. The Nuggets, like several teams before them, took a chance on Westbrook, whose play has been nothing short of a wild card in recent years. Alongside Nikola Jokic, though, he found success operating off-ball by utilizing his natural explosiveness, a sensible calling card for one of basketball history's most athletic playmakers. It seemed like the perfect spot for Westbrook to finish out his career. Instead, he has continued to seek out a more lucrative deal with a team that is looking to give him more offensive freedom. While the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks are both reportedly interested in adding his services, neither team can offer both a higher salary and an expanded role. It also seems unlikely that Westbrook will find a more seamless fit for himself than what he had in Denver. Whether it's due to his erratic offensive tendencies or his relentless determination to involve himself in every action, it's easy to see why teams have to talk themselves into Westbrook at this point in his career. It appears that Russ will finally be picked up soon, but the damage has already been done. The two-time scoring champion already gave up his best chance at winning a title once he departed from Denver.
New report sheds light on how Cowboys view Micah Parsons situation
It is no secret that the relationship between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys is not on solid ground, but that does not necessarily mean it is tarnished beyond repair. On the latest episode of his podcast, which was released on Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter predicted that Parsons and the Cowboys are "headed towards divorce." Schefter said the two sides have not spoken since April and that it seems like a matter of when — not if — they part ways. Longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson was told the situation is not quite that grim, at least from the Cowboys' perspective. Anderson reported on Tuesday evening that the relationship between Parsons and Dallas "has not deteriorated to the point of an imminent divorce." "I did not detect any obvious tones of concern in my sourced conversation when I recently asked about ESPN's Adam Schefter's report stating he sees 'these two sides headed towards a divorce, in time.' ... I just feel Dallas has so much history with protracted (and) sensitive negotiations, thus my current impression is the club remains unrattled, at this time," Anderson wrote in a post on X. Parsons is earning just over $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season. The 26-year-old had 12 sacks in 13 games last season and has 52.5 sacks in 63 career games. Parsons is arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL when healthy. Although Parsons has formally requested a trade, the Cowboys maintain that they have no intention of dealing their four-time Pro Bowl defensive end. The only real leverage Parsons has is creating a headache in Dallas. He remains under contract, and the Cowboys also have the ability to use the franchise tag on him in each of the next two seasons. If Parsons were to sit out regular-season games, his contract would eventually toll. Even with Jerry Jones publicly taking shots at Parsons, one massive contract offer could change everything.
Giants have firm stance on possible Jameis Winston trade
The New York Giants have one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL, and there has been speculation that Jameis Winston could be the odd man out when the regular season begins. It does not sound like Winston is going anywhere, however. Russell Wilson is expected to be the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 1. The big question is whether Jaxson Dart or Winston will enter the year as Wilson's primary backup. Dart has played well through two preseason games, and Brian Daboll and his coaching staff have raved about the former Ole Miss star. Some have wondered if the Giants could entertain trade offers for Winston should they decide they view Dart as their No. 2 quarterback. Assistant general manager Brandon Brown was asked about that on Tuesday, and he all but ruled it out. "I appreciate people that are interested, but Jameis is a New York Giant. The way that he's gone about his business from day one, he's made it very intentional of the fact that he wants to be here and he wants to be here for the long haul," Brown said. "Teammates love him. His preparation process, whether it's the off-field things that he does in terms of community relations, Bible studies, things in the locker room, galvanizing the group together — not just the quarterback room, but the offense as a whole. "He's been comic relief, but he's also been a really good example of how to be a pro and handle your business in terms of prehab, rehab and postgame care. So, I'm happy he's here, and he's gonna continue to do those things. He hasn't wavered, and he hasn't been shaken by any distractions at all." Winston signed a two-year, $8M contract with the Giants in free agency this offseason. The deal could climb as high as $16M with incentives, but he would need to play quite a bit to hit those. The Giants value Winston's extensive experience, just as they value Dart's upside. There is a reason they signed both Wilson and Winston and traded up to draft Dart. They believe in all three players, and they likely will not be inclined to trade Winston unless they receive an excellent offer.
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