No Mans Land

This isn’t about if the fit is right or wrong. That won’t be determined until we see the results because the sporting world is a results based industry. Win a cup and keep your job; don’t win a cup... thanks for the memories but you need to find new work (See: Alain Vigneault firing). John Tortorella has become the 17^th Head Coach in Vancouver Canucks history. And now, much like Roberto Luongo at a poker tournament, this Canucks core and management has declared that they are going all in.

Tortorella’s tenure in New York is best defined by his demeanor towards the media. We’ve all seen the snide comments to reporters, the short press conferences, and the snappy retorts, ultimately leading to him becoming a caricature. But after his dismissal and a self proclaimed re-evaluation process, he came out to greet Vancouver reporters in a calm, composed, and cogent manner. A far cry from the Tortorella that has become a sensation for hockey fans... at least for those who weren’t Rangers fans.

Today however was only Day 1 for the new coach, it remains to be seen how he will react after Game 59 amidst a 7 game Sedins’ slump or a power-play that has generated a mere 1 goal in 24 consecutive attempts. 2 messages from Tortorella today were clear: 1. that he needed to be a more receptive to the media especially in a hockey crazed market like Vancouver. The 2^nd was a demand for more from the players, most notably an expectation that the Twins will kill penalties. The big question in the build up to the coaching announcement was can Tortorella evolve and adapt beyond the menacing coach publicly berating his players and antagonizing the media... but now a bigger question has been revealed: Is he the leopard that needs to change his spots?

Mike Gillis has handed out a rather long 5 year contract to Tortorella but certainly a warranted commitment given his pedigree in the coaching ranks (visit The Extra Period coaching ranks), The Twins have a mere 1 season left on their deals. If bringing in Tortorella is a win now move, Henrik & Daniel will have to show their new bench boss that they are willing to accept their new duties and perform to the expectations. We’re talking about 2 players that were asked to protect a 1 goal lead in Game 2 vs. San Jose. Now they will be asked to protect Cory Schneider when down a man. We’re talking about 2 players who took repeated blows to the head while Brad Marchand punched them and did nothing about it. Now they will be expected to rise to the occasion when Torts comes after them. Gone are the days of just starting shifts in the offensive zone under Vigneault, in come the times of added responsibilities. Tortorella preached that he enters a club that has a level of success, and its about finding that next level. Mike Gillis may not have the luxury of job security to wait for that level, and with 1 year left on their contract the Twins need to make it work quickly before they see their time expire.

The move by the Canucks to hire Tortorella has a homerun or strike out feel to it, but either way this core won’t remain in the no man’s land of NHL purgatory: Not good enough to win, not bad enough to get a top pick. In this new salary cap NHL, fans have cried out that the only way to build a winner is to falter during the regular season to reap the rewards of a high lottery pick. That theory hasn’t necessarily worked for the likes of Edmonton, Tampa Bay, Atlanta/Winnipeg & Columbus, but Chicago, LA, and Pittsburgh have all reached the pinnacle of success in the NHL by that model.

Any complaints about the lack of success due to the teams draft position should also be directed at the clubs inability in player development. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Jamie Benn, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Jonathan Quick, PK Subban, Shea Weber, Henrik Lundqvist, Erik Karlsson, Claude Giroux, and David Backes are players that have gone on to great success to win Cups, individual accolades and/or becoming cornerstone pieces of their respective franchises. All have been drafted outside the top 12 picks. In comes Tortorella who has a developmental pedigree in case the current core doesn’t succeed.

Last season under Alain Vigneault the team lost its identity. Tortorella has been brought in to sculpt a new culture. While the man might have a message, this core needs to be willing to adhere and adapt to a new way of thinking for it to work. Or we could be at the end of an era for this core and management, with Tortorella standing alone in the abyss of a new regime.