It was a bad look all the way around.
John Tortorella didn’t address the media following his Vegas Golden Knights eliminating Anaheim in Game 6 of the best-of-seven playoff series on Thursday night.
Didn’t show up to the postgame press conference.
And no matter the reason — he wanted to speak first and before Ducks coach Joel Quenneville or there was a bus and flight to catch or some other issue — not doing so was wrong.
The Knights and Tortorella discovered Friday what the NHL thought of such antics, the league stripping the team of a second-round pick in this year’s draft and fining the coach $100,000. The Knights can appeal.
The penalties, said the NHL in a press release, come after previous warnings issued to the Knights regarding compliance with media regulations and other associated policies.
Tortorella is hardly the most open of coaches when it comes to dealing with media, and that’s fine.
He answers those questions that he believes warrants one.
His prerogative. Just don’t ask him about an opposing team. Crickets.
He also stepped off an ESPN set as an analyst to take the Knights coaching job once Bruce Cassidy was fired with eight games left in the regular season.
Tortorella was part of the media being paid by a major media entity. He had no problem talking at length then.
No one is saying he has to be Cassidy, who was terrific with the media win or lose, but not speaking after a series-clinching victory was beyond shortsighted.
I can’t remember any coach in any sport not at least addressing the media following a playoff game.
Fans of the Knights will no doubt, and have if you’re a fan of X, supported the team and Tortorella in this case. Especially now that they have advanced to a Western Conference final against Colorado.
Everyone loves a winner, eh?
But part of the media’s job is to tell the stories of the fans’ beloved team, to give insight and perspective to those cheering. To allow them a closer look at the players they so passionately follow.
And that should include the thoughts of a coach whose team just advanced.
Cassidy was amazing in these situations. You never left a press conference of his without having learned something. Again, no one is asking Tortorella to be the same. Guys approach the job in different ways.
But the Knights haven’t had a coach in their short history who would have pulled something like he did on Thursday. Not even close. No matter the reason, it was wrong.
Other points
A few observations regarding the playoffs:
The goal, as Knights defenseman Shea Theodore aptly explained afterwards, was sick.
That’s a good thing.
It came off the stick of Knights forward Mitch Marner and gave his team a 1-0 lead Thursday.
It’s the best goal I have seen live. This way, that way, forehand, backhand, pause, more of the same, between the legs, finish.
And as great as it was, the stretch pass from William Karlsson to make it possible was nearly as good.
It also reminded me of this truth: The Knights are in it to win it all. Always have been, always will be.
They proved as much again by trading for Marner from Toronto in June of last year and signing the star to an eight-year, $96 million contract.
There is no move Vegas won’t make if it means increasing its chances of winning a Stanley Cup.
No chance it won’t take.
It’s the Knights’ fifth trip to a conference final in nine seasons. The franchise has now won 14 playoff series and six straight Game 6s. A ridiculous amount of success for an organization not 10 years old.…
Talented Theodore
It’s obvious what sort of depth Vegas owns.
It lost captain Mark Stone to injury in Game 3 against the Ducks and still was able to overcome his absence.
Jeremy Lauzon was also out with injury and fellow defenseman Brayden McNabb missed most of Game 5 and all of Game 6 due to being assessed a major penalty. Those on the back end stepped up nicely. None more than Theodore.
I can’t remember him playing this well in his time with the Knights.
Can’t remember his all-around game being this sharp. And it will have to continue being so against the league’s best team in Colorado if the Knights are to pull off what some believe would be a major upset.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
