from Michael Traikos of the National Post,
I still cannot believe John Tortorella hasn’t been fired yet.
This is what I was thinking as I watched Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins talk about how “sad” and “painful” and “embarrassing” it is to be playing for a team that has become one of the biggest disappointments in the National Hockey League this season.
Mike Babcock, Gerard Gallant and Bruce Boudreau are currently out of work. But Tortorella, who chased Pierre-Luc Dubois out of Columbus and is now ruining Patrik Laine’s career, is still being paid to coach. He’s still in a position in which he gets to bench Max Domi and make roster decisions. He’s still given a platform in which he gets to refuse to answer reporters’ questions.
To borrow a favourite phrase from ex-Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, it’s mind-boggling — especially considering who else has lost their job this year.
Claude Julien was fired in February after the Habs went 9-5-4. The following month, Calgary replaced Geoff Ward (11-11-2) with Darryl Sutter, while Buffalo let go of Ralph Krueger (6-18-4). And yet, with the losses piling up, Tortorella (15-25-9) continues to pick up a paycheque in Columbus.
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