NHL claims Tortorella's actions caused 'dangerous precedent'
Earlier on Sunday evening, the National Hockey League handed down discipline for Philadelphia Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella following his outburst on Saturday.
For those who aren't in the loop, John Tortorella was ejected from Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning for arguing with the official. The call came just a tad over half-way through the opening period as the Lightning had a 4-0 lead.
Tortorella refused to leave the Flyers' bench, telling the officials that he wasn't going anywhere. After a couple of minutes, Tortorella left the bench and the game.
As for his discipline, the long-time Head Coach was given a two-game suspension and a $50,000 fine, the latter of which will be handled by the team's CEO Dan Hilferty.
Following the announcement of Tortorella's suspension and fine, the National Hockey League, according to Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period, said that the Flyers coach set a 'dangerous precedent' by not leaving the bench when told to.
But fair to question the handling by the officials - a rookie who struggled dealing with an emotional game and a veteran who felt pressure to take control & (possibly) overreacted." Di Marco said in a post on X.
It's unclear what was said during the exchange between John Tortorella and the officials, one of whom was Wes McCauley, but it's a bit ridiculous that he was ejected so quickly from the game and it didn't seem like the officials wanted to hear anything he had to say.
Tortorella will be eligible to return to the Philadelphia Flyers' bench next Saturday as they take on the Boston Bruins.
| POLL | ||
Did John Tortorella deserve to be suspended and fined by the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 288 | 38.5 % |
| No | 461 | 61.5 % |
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