“Most misunderstood”: Brad Shaw defends former Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella following his firing

Philadelphia Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw hails John Tortorella 's influence despite his controversial departure. Shaw wasn't shy when speaking about the former head coach’s sudden exit. Having spent three seasons working with Tortorella, Shaw was adamant that the gruff reputation the veteran coach had earned doesn't entirely represent him as a person.

Brad Shaw expresses his thoughts on John Tortorella


The Flyers stunned the hockey world last Thursday by separating from Tortorella amid an anarchic season. “His story and his personality is probably one of the most misunderstood things in the game, and I think he will coach again,” Shaw said. “I think that until you see him as a person-- and as you see him on his daily -- how he handles the team, you realize he's not this fierce ogre that he gets painted as a lot of times. It's been a real, you know, a lot of synchronicity between him and I, both places we've worked, and so just incredibly emotional day both ways. He’s about as genuine a person as I've ever met. He's the most black-and-white person I know. He may have the biggest heart of anybody I know, and he [has] a genuine care for not only you, but your family.”

Brad Shaw wastes no time as Philadelphia Flyers interim head coach

With Tortorella gone, Brad Shaw took over and immediately stamped his own authority on the team. The Flyers won't make the playoffs, but the transition has paid almost immediate dividends on the ice.

Shaw's stay got off to a strong start with a 6-4 win over the struggling Montreal Canadiens, a club battling for a Wild Card berth. He topped it off with his second consecutive win, steering the Flyers past the Buffalo Sabres. While the wins at this time of the season are certainly meaningless when considering standings, they have offered up a measure of stability following an upheaval in the recent life of the franchise.

Hockey commentator Anthony Di Marco pointed out that Shaw's changes have already been evident, especially about young phenom Matvei Michkov . “It seems like the proof is in the pudding,” Di Marco said on Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE. “Two back-to-back wins. Matvei Michkov – four goals in two games. His ice time has jumped almost four minutes per game. Some of the line combinations make a bit more sense. Michkov back into the top six, and they use that term very loosely on a team like the Philadelphia Flyers. You have York playing with Jamie Drysdale, [Nick] Seeler playing with Travis Sanheim.”

Shaw has also tweaked the defensive pairings, pairing Cam York with Jamie Drysdale and Nick Seeler with Travis Sanheim. The willingness to try different lineups is a welcome change for a Flyers team on the edge of playoff elimination.

Also read: “A good friend of mine lost his job,” Brad Shaw talks about John Tortorella

John Tortorella's next move is unknown, but judging by his history, it would not surprise to see him in front of an NHL bench any time soon. For now, though, the Flyers are embracing a new age—one Brad Shaw is willing to lead, at least for now.