Los Angeles: John Tortorella, who has been out of an NHL job since being fired by the Vancouver Canucks in May 2014, will coach Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
The 57-year-old Tortorella is the winningest American-born coach in NHL history with 446 victories and he led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup title in 2004.
But he is a surprise pick for the USA job in the eight-team tournament. Tortorella is known for his outspoken nature and tendency to quickly anger.
He was suspended by the league for 15 days while coaching in Vancouver for trying to storm the Calgary Flames’ dressing room to confront their coach Bob Hartley. Tortorella said he is working on controlling his temper.
Tortorella was fired after coaching the Canucks to a fifth-place finish in the Pacific Division in 2013-2014.
He coached the New York Rangers for four seasons before that. The Rangers’ best season under Tortorella was 2011-2012, when they finished first in the Atlantic Division.
He was fired by the Rangers after losing in the second round of the playoffs in 2012-2013.
He then lasted just one season with the Canucks before being sacked along with assistant coach Mike Sullivan.
Tortorella said he learned of the World Cup job in a phone call from USA general manager Dean Lombardi.
Tortorella said on Monday there is a lot of coaching pressure whenever the Americans compete on the world stage.
“I am nervous because it is your country, and in today’s world where we [USA] are at, and with what is going on with the world. It is that big to me as far as the USA and USA hockey,” Tortorella said.
Tortorella led the US team to a sixth-place finish at the 2008 World Championships in his only other international head coaching experience.
The World Cup of Hockey is a two week tournament scheduled for next September which will be hosted by Canada and feature the top national teams from around the world, including Canada, Russia and Sweden.
