Flyers GM Danny Brière says decision to fire John Tortorella wasn’t down to ‘one thing’ but ‘a series of things’ since the trade deadline
"We had just some different opinions on different things," Brière told the media ahead of the Flyers' game against Montreal on Thursday.
John Tortorella may not have put the final nail in his Flyers coaching coffin on Tuesday night in Toronto — he just had added another one that sealed it shut.
The fiery coach was fired on Thursday morning after almost three seasons. According to Flyers general manager Danny Brière, who addressed the media before the team took on the Montreal Canadiens, the move had been building.
“It’s not one thing, it’s a series of things that have happened,” he said. “Probably a little bit more in the last three weeks that escalated since probably around the trade deadline or right after that.”
What has happened since the trade deadline is an accumulation of losses — the Flyers have lost 11 of 12 entering Thursday night’s game, including the two games before the March 7 trade deadline — and a series of benchings and limited minutes for young players.
» READ MORE: The Flyers didn’t fire John Tortorella. He fired himself. And his timing was right.
And while the grizzled coach was on board with the necessary moves — especially trading former first-rounders Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, and Scott Laughton — there is no denying that the team had lost its way recently.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics of what we dealt with. That’s not fair to Torts,” Brière said about why he was fired while also not wanting to place blame on Tortorella for the team’s loss of structure.
“We both have opinions, and it doesn’t mean that mine is better than he is. I don’t want to get into that. But, you know, we had just some different opinions on different things.”
For most of his tenure, Tortorella helped to trim the fat, restore the Flyers’ culture, and bring a hard-nosed, no-quit attitude to a young group. But, as Brière said, Tortorella is a “complicated man” and a “complicated coach,” and his style didn’t always mesh with the players.
“I think Torts did a great job with the young guys. His approach to it, to making them pros has really helped a lot of guys,” the GM said. “Now, you know, everybody reacts differently. There’s guys that probably didn’t work quite as well, but overall, I think he’s done a tremendous job helping our young guys take a next step, become better leaders, and better players.”
However, the Flyers brass did not consult the players before handing Tortorella his walking papers and naming associate coach Brad Shaw as the interim head coach. They didn’t need to do a check-in as Brière and president Keith Jones are consistently around the team, attending almost every game together.
The young players will be the drivers of the “bus” moving forward as the team takes the next step in the rebuild, with the firing of Tortorella being “rock bottom.” But, as Drake knows, you have to start from the bottom. It will take time, and results will not come overnight — especially since the Flyers’ next head coach is weeks away from being named.
“I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to be looking for as a coach,” Brière said. “One thing I can tell you is we have a young team. A coach who can teach is going to be important to start with. But as far as all the traits, I think it’s a little too early to really dive deep into that.”
» READ MORE: A timeline of the eventful John Tortorella era in Philly
But with a young team, is the focus on hiring a young coach?
“We’re not going to close off any coaches because of their age,” Brière said. “If they’re the appropriate coach, we’re going to keep everything open. We don’t want to limit ourselves to it. But at the same time, if any young coach fits the bill then, yeah, we might go for it.” The Flyers have eight games left on the schedule after Thursday night and end the season on April 17 in Buffalo.
“Play for each other, basically, is what the message was for them,” Brière said of what he told the players. “That’s the expectation, and I feel good about our group. They’ve never quit. They’ve always played hard. It’s been tough lately, and part of it, I’m responsible, with the trades and leaving the team where it’s at. But one thing I’m proud of is how hard [they play] and the no-quit attitude that our coaching staff has put in place.”