The "why" wasn't asked. But if Torts had any intention of explaining further, he'd have expanded on the subject when asked the "when can we expect him to play" question.

I think there is a bit of internal tension at present about how little usage/TOI some of the younger players have gotten. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Who knows?

Torts has been cutting off ice time/ roster move questions -- for example, saying he's not going to discuss Laczynski when asked (by Giana, I believe) about what he needs to do to get back up to the NHL roster -- for the last week or so.
- bmeltzer

Not a good sign when there’s internal tension about youth vs. Older players playing for a team like this….I’m sure everyone knew full well that they weren’t going to be very good. I would think this shouldn’t come as a surprise to where they are today and would have been talked about extensively before Torts was hired. The reason I think it’s probably BS the Flyers have continued to add older guys like Sedlak and bringing back Braun (who I think has struggled). If they were actually committed to a youth movement there’s a number of these guys that could be shown the door.

If you catch Torts in the right mood/ right day, he can be very expansive with little prompting. Give him an open ended question, and he'll give a thorough answer from all the angles.

Wrong mood or wrongly worded question -- negatively worded, circling back after a question was dismissed, simply not in the mood to talk -- will not yield anything productive. Rule Number 1 is that Torts can negatively critique a player but he's going to get his back up if given a negatively worded question. Keep it open ended.

If Torts is set off, the rest of the media availability usually becomes a series of one word to one sentence answers. That's why pregame availability on Saturday before the Ottawa game ran a total of 65 seconds. Torts didn't speak before Sunday's game against Dallas.

Sam Carchidi had every right to ask Torts about leaving without speaking following the game in Columbus last Thursday. Torts had the right to answer with a basic no comment. On one hand, snarling "None of your business" predictably triggered a PHWA complaint to the NHL. On the flip side, it also wasn't hard to predict that starting the presser with asking about Thursday would torpedo the rest of the session. Once Torts goes off, he rarely shifts gears back to "expansive/ collegial" mode.

It is what it is. Mike Yeo is exceedingly easy to deal with. AV would turn on the charm to say what we wanted to say for as long as he wanted to say it, then would want to end it ASAP. Gordo was great with the Flyers press. Hak was always guarded. Chief was right-to-the-point and serially honest but also had a great sense of humor on an average day. Lavy wasn't much for joking around and had his fair game and off-limits questions but would provide just enough.

Torts is, well, Torts. He really isn't a bad person -- at all -- but he can very easy or very difficult, and he sets the rules of engagement daily.
- bmeltzer

I think most of the fan base can get behind a young team that struggles but shows growth….what they won’t accept is another losing year with a bunch of journey man players that are not part of the solution in any way. What happened to playing the young guys? It’s not like your going to win with Brown or Sedlak or Braun even Anisamov for that matter.

As a fan this is an issue -- if he doesn't want to talk a reporter should at least get that on record and report that -- not say torts is being torts today and accept it
- corduroy

I partially disagree. I'd say you have to choose your battles and also understand that some battles are winnable and some are not.

If you see Tortorella outside the press conference/ interview realm, he's a total gentleman. Calls you by name. Gets to know about you as a person. Asks about your family and actually listens and cares about the response. I don't have that sort of relationship with him but people I've been close to -- Jay Greenberg at the front of the list -- absolutely did. Jim Jackson does, too, and I consider JJ a friend.

As far as publicly making a big deal out of which reporters a coach does or does not like, I was trained to not make reporters -- myself or colleagues -- the center of attention.

Also, a big part of the job is relationship building. Believe it or not, though, some of the strongest working relationships come from hashing out an objection to something you wrote. There have been a few cases where I was confronted by a coach or player, it was talked out candidly and respectfully and produced a great working relationship thereafter.

Not a good sign when there’s internal tension about youth vs. Older players playing for a team like this….I’m sure everyone knew full well that they weren’t going to be very good. I would think this shouldn’t come as a surprise to where they are today and would have been talked about extensively before Torts was hired. The reason I think it’s probably BS the Flyers have continued to add older guys like Sedlak and bringing back Braun (who I think has struggled). If they were actually committed to a youth movement there’s a number of these guys that could be shown the door.
- landros 2

I don't know for a fact that there is. Just a hunch that Torts is wired in a way where, one the season actually begins, he makes decisions based which players he trusts and which ones he feels give him the best chance to win the game take priority in his mind over long-game considerations. He realizes that's important, too, but if the two objectives do not overlap, he'll go for the immediacy of the personnel he thinks will keep the team competitive THAT game.

To expect Torts to become a different type of coach is not realistic. However, he has also said that he's not "just going to throw out" players who may not be playing as much as they or the org would hope. So there's some push-pull effect.

As a fan this is an issue -- if he doesn't want to talk a reporter should at least get that on record and report that -- not say torts is being torts today and accept it
- corduroy

He is a man child. Everything revolves around him. No need for the cockyness he displays.

I partially disagree. I'd say you have to choose your battles and also understand that some battles are winnable and some are not.

If you see Tortorella outside the press conference/ interview realm, he's a total gentleman. Calls you by name. Gets to know about you as a person. Asks about your family and actually listens and cares about the response. I don't have that sort of relationship with him but people I've been close to -- Jay Greenberg at the front of the list -- absolutely did. Jim Jackson does, too, and I consider JJ a friend.

As far as publicly making a big deal out of which reporters a coach does or does not like, I was trained to not make reporters -- myself or colleagues -- the center of attention.

Also, a big part of the job is relationship building. Believe it or not, though, some of the strongest working relationships come from hashing out an objection to something you wrote. There have been a few cases where I was confronted by a coach or player, it was talked out candidly and respectfully and produced a great working relationship thereafter.
- bmeltzer

I read somewhere that ASF said (didn't see it myself) Torts wasn’t a Chuck hire. Any idea if true or to what extent he was his pick?

I read somewhere that ASF said (didn't see it myself) Torts wasn’t a Chuck hire. Any idea if true or to what extent he was his pick?
- furio16

The hiring committee was Fletcher, Flahr, Briere and Dean Lombardi. No one else was in either first or second interviews. A third-party agency was hired to come up with/ vet the candidate pool.

It's been 4 years since he was fired. Plenty of time for the new management to put their stamp on things.
- Feanor

Thankfully I didn't read most of the comments in the last blog.... but this is spot on. Carrying on about a GM that has left 4 years ago is completely ridiculous.

The hiring committee was Fletcher, Flahr, Briere and Dean Lombardi. No one else was in either first or second interviews. A third-party agency was hired to come up with/ vet the candidate pool.
- bmeltzer

Right, did those other 3 push more for him? Or was Chuck 100% behind the hiring? Thanks as usual.

Been asked. Torts' response was "He'll play when I decide to put him back in." The GM does not comment on lineups.
- bmeltzer

Can Torts ever not be a snarky douche?

Why are they carrying a waiver exempt rookie dman around as a regular healthy scratch? This team fails at even the most basic aspects of player development.
- Feanor

've been thinking the same thing. Phantoms play 3 this weekend. He could rack up some serious minutes

've been thinking the same thing. Phantoms play 3 this weekend. He could rack up some serious minutes
- mr4tno

I am sure that Zamula is learning much more watching the defensive stalwarts that are iced nightly than actually playing the game

I don't know for a fact that there is. Just a hunch that Torts is wired in a way where, one the season actually begins, he makes decisions based which players he trusts and which ones he feels give him the best chance to win the game take priority in his mind over long-game considerations. He realizes that's important, too, but if the two objectives do not overlap, he'll go for the immediacy of the personnel he thinks will keep the team competitive THAT game.

To expect Torts to become a different type of coach is not realistic. However, he has also said that he's not "just going to throw out" players who may not be playing as much as they or the org would hope. So there's some push-pull effect.
- bmeltzer

I think this points to where I have an issue with management. Management thinks this team is closer than it is....by a LOT, and hiring Torts is exactly the wrong kind of coach for what this team actually needs to do.

Every game Patrick Brown, Lucas Sedlak, Zac Attack, Nick Deslauriers, Nick Seeler, etc etc etc get on the ice is one more day this franchise gets set back.

I like Torts as a person, he seems like a real decent guy away from the rink. But at the rink he seems like a mind screwing head games playing dinosaur who isn't the right guy for a team who should be trying to see what it has in its prospects. Not trying to finish 10 points out of a playoff spot instead of 30. If anyone in this franchise thinks they even have a chance to sniff a playoff spot this season.....ESPECIALLY this season, they need to be dragged out of the corporate team offices and thrown off the Walt Whitman bridge.

I think this points to where I have an issue with management. Management thinks this team is closer than it is....by a LOT, and hiring Torts is exactly the wrong kind of coach for what this team actually needs to do.

Every game Patrick Brown, Lucas Sedlak, Zac Attack, Nick Deslauriers, Nick Seeler, etc etc etc get on the ice is one more day this franchise gets set back.

I like Torts as a person, he seems like a real decent guy away from the rink. But at the rink he seems like a mind screwing head games playing dinosaur who isn't the right guy for a team who should be trying to see what it has in its prospects. Not trying to finish 10 points out of a playoff spot instead of 30. If anyone in this franchise thinks they even have a chance to sniff a playoff spot this season.....ESPECIALLY this season, they need to be dragged out of the corporate team offices and thrown off the Walt Whitman bridge.
- MBFlyerfan

He was not hired to oversee a "rebuild" or whatever; in Torts mind anyway. Maybe in his interviews he conned them, who knows.

Good post.

When the famous hockey tournament is no longer called the Beanpot, I'll change the term in game previews.
- bmeltzer

👍

Can Torts ever not be a snarky douche?
- BiggE

Was he actually kicked in the face by a horse 🐎 ?

I think this points to where I have an issue with management. Management thinks this team is closer than it is....by a LOT, and hiring Torts is exactly the wrong kind of coach for what this team actually needs to do.

Every game Patrick Brown, Lucas Sedlak, Zac Attack, Nick Deslauriers, Nick Seeler, etc etc etc get on the ice is one more day this franchise gets set back.

I like Torts as a person, he seems like a real decent guy away from the rink. But at the rink he seems like a mind screwing head games playing dinosaur who isn't the right guy for a team who should be trying to see what it has in its prospects. Not trying to finish 10 points out of a playoff spot instead of 30. If anyone in this franchise thinks they even have a chance to sniff a playoff spot this season.....ESPECIALLY this season, they need to be dragged out of the corporate team offices and thrown off the Walt Whitman bridge.
- MBFlyerfan

Could be a potential trap game for the Bruins. Great odds on the flyers. House 🏠 🛖 worth it 🤔

Was he actually kicked in the face by a horse 🐎 ?
- THE EVIL WITHIN

According to reports…of course I am skeptical that the horse meant anything big by it. Torts still has a face. Nothing more than a love tap.

Could be a potential trap game for the Bruins. Great odds on the flyers. House 🏠 🛖 worth it 🤔
- THE EVIL WITHIN

There is def value on taking the Flyers. Usually a team is minus 1.5 on the goal line. For the first time I can remember they have it as -2. Flyers suck.

It's been 4 years since he was fired. Plenty of time for the new management to put their stamp on things.
- Feanor

I agree. If we’re still beating the drum that todays current mess is all hextalls fault i think it’s off base. I don’t see how it could be worse than todays state had we kept draft picks/ drafting and avoided the cap hell were now in. Even if we still sucked at least we likely wouldn’t have pissed away all the picks in trades for injured or ineffective vets.

Eagles going to be even more fun to watch

Roses are red, Violets are blue, unsportsmanlike conduct, Ndamukong Suh

According to reports…of course I am skeptical that the horse meant anything big by it. Torts still has a face. Nothing more than a love tap.


- NC Flyers Fan

Torts is fitting him for skates. Loves the jam he showed.

Not a good sign when there’s internal tension about youth vs. Older players playing for a team like this….I’m sure everyone knew full well that they weren’t going to be very good. I would think this shouldn’t come as a surprise to where they are today and would have been talked about extensively before Torts was hired. The reason I think it’s probably BS the Flyers have continued to add older guys like Sedlak and bringing back Braun (who I think has struggled). If they were actually committed to a youth movement there’s a number of these guys that could be shown the door.
- landros 2

It's just more lies and political BS from management and apparently Torts now, as well.
This franchise is lost and adrift and when we should be playing the youth and letting them develop we instead choose to sign players with no real upside or future value.
This has been as issue with this franchise for years now. As a fan this is beyond frustrating.
If we are going to auxk(and we are) then ay the kids and expect a silent tank on the season but this management team can't even execute a tank properly let alone create a winning franchise and culture
It's just a bad time to be a fan of this team that ia being lead adrift by feltcher

Torts pregame media discussion....

basically in a nutshell...Cates is going to be a center not matter what. Cited weak organizational depth at the position and come hell or high water, he's a center.