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John Tortorella has spoken about his coaching future for the first time since the Vegas Golden Knights announced their decision not to bring him back after the Stanley Cup Final loss.
Vegas hired Tortorella on March 29 after firing Bruce Cassidy while he still had eight games left in the regular season.
With Tortorella, the Golden Knights closed the year 7-0-1, winning the Pacific Division title, and carrying the form all the way into the Stanley Cup Final, before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.
In an interview with The Athletic taken this week and published on Friday, the 68-year-old clearly laid out his intention to continue.
Oh, I want to coach, he told The Athletic.
I want to coach now.
Im not sure if that happens, and thats where I am in my career.
But I wanted to coach that Vegas team.
I told (general manager Kelly McCrimmon) that.
At 68, Tortorella knows the next opportunity may not come easily.
Moreover, he accepted that the Knights were preparing Ryan Craig for the HC role in the past few years with AHL affiliate Henderson Silver Knights.
But I also understood Kelly and (team president George McPhee)s point of view, Tortorella said.
Theyve been developing (Craig) for a number of years there.
Hes a good coach and a good man.
Vegas playoff run was impressive.
They beat the Utah Mammoth in six games, then eliminated the Anaheim Ducks in six more.
Then they defeated the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final.
But the Hurricanes got the better of the Knights in the Stanley Cup Final, and Tortorella acknowledged that they didnt finish the job and that he wanted some more time with the club.
But he had to accept that business is business.
John Tortorellas short tenure with the Knights also had off-ice controversy.
The NHL fined him $100,000 and took away a second-round pick from the Knights after he skipped a media session after the teams second-round win over the Ducks.
A goaltending failure was a major highlight of Vegas run, with Carter Hart allowing 22 goals across the six-game Cup Final loss.
That was reportedly the worst statistical performance in NHL history.
Speaking to The Athletic, Tortorella described the meeting where he learned his fate.
He said, I was honest with Kelly.
We met the next morning (after Game 6).
..
Kelly is very honest, and he let me know within one minute of sitting down in that meeting he basically told me, Ryan Craig is coaching the team next year.
I told him what I thought, and we had an honest conversation.
I truly respect where the organization is going.
Tortorella coached six NHL organisations and won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay back in 2003-04.
Whether he lands another job or not, he is still considered one of the top coaches in the league.
What do you think about Tortorellas future in the NHL? Let us know in the comments below.
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