The Philadelphia Flyers and head coach John Tortorella parted ways on Thursday morning. Philadelphia's front office made this decision after a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday and post-game comments from Tortorella that sparked some attention.
"When you're in this type of situation and you're losing all the time and there's nothing at the end of the tunnel for you, there's certainly going to be some frustration," Tortorella said. "I'm not really interested in learning how to coach this type... in this type of season where we're at right now."
Now that Tortorella is out of a job, what's the next challenge for him to take on in the hockey world? He's been an NHL head coach for over two decades and has coached to win in every tenure.
With Tortorella in his late 60s, it's unclear where he'll want to take his talents next
As for the remainder of this season, it's unlikely he'll take on another coaching job. However, with the playoffs coming up in about three weeks, he could return to being a TV analyst.
He had a stint with ESPN as an analyst between his firing from the Columbus Blue Jackets and being hired by the Flyers. He could potentially fit on the NHL on TNT panel, just like Rick Tocchet did before the Vancouver Canucks hired him.
His tough and old-fashioned personality could be great insight for fans watching the broadcast and great entertainment at the same time.
In terms of looking to next season, it'll be interesting to see what coaching jobs will be available. He's made it clear that he's not interested in coaching a young, rebuilding team. However, there are a few teams that could use a new face behind the bench.
The Nashville Predators were expected to make a big jump this season after the moves they made this past offseason. But it didn't quite play out for them the way they thought. There has been some talk about general manager Barry Trotz potentially moving on from head coach Andrew Brunette.
There's also no sign of Trotz wanting to become a rebuilding team
Therefore, a coach like Tortorella could be what the doctor ordered for Nashville. The Canucks could be in a similar boat as the Predators as a potential landing spot for Torts.
It's also worth noting that Tortorella is a Boston native. The Boston Bruins currently have Joe Sacco as their interim head coach, replacing Jim Montgomery, who was fired mid-season. If Boston wants to take things in a different direction, they could bring Tortorella home.
However, despite Tortorella's competitiveness and desire to win, there's no guarantee that he wants to get back into coaching. There's the possibility that he could step away from the game for a while. Maybe he could take on a special advisory role to assist the coaching staff or the general manager upstairs.
Another alternative option is simply retirement. As mentioned, Tortorella has done this gig for over 20 years, and there is certainly no shame in calling it quits on a fantastic coaching career.