Flyers interim coach Brad Shaw (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)The Philadelphia Flyers move forward with an interim coach after two blowout losses, reports of what happened off the ice and benching a player for a full game.
To cap off a six-game winless streak after losing 7-4 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday and 7-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, now-former Flyers coach John Tortorella and defenseman Cam York got into a confrontation, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz.
York only took eight shifts for 3:50 of ice time against the Maple Leafs. He was previously a healthy scratch on March 8.
Kurz shared that a team source said they “probably both crossed the line,” which contributed to Tortorella’s dismissal.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli added that the spat between the two wasn’t physical but was a heated verbal exchange.
Tortorella also told reporters on Tuesday he didn't do a good enough job in the past couple of games in preparing the rebuilding team.
“I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season with where we’re at right now, but I have to do a better job. So this falls on me,” Tortorella told reporters.
Philadelphia GM Daniel Briere said there isn’t just one reason behind his decision to relieve Tortorella of his duties. He said there had been a series of instances that led to this conclusion, especially in the last three weeks.
Brad Shaw began his interim coaching duties, as the Flyers beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 to end the winless streak with York watching from the bench.
York did not take a single shift in this game, despite dressing for the team and sitting on the bench. Shaw confirmed after the game that it was for disciplinary purposes. York will be back in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.
"I take full responsibility for my actions. It's been addressed in the locker room," York told the media, as reported by The Hockey News' Siobhan Nolan. "We've got eight games left here, and that's my focus right now."
The team could not scratch York or call up a player from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms because of a post-trade deadline NHL rule. After the trade deadline, teams are only allowed four call-ups, and the Flyers used them all to this point. Therefore, the team played with five defensemen.
From here, the Flyers have eight games left in this season to play spoilers in games against the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, five teams looking to clinch a wild-card playoff spot. Their .453 points percentage is currently the lowest since 2021-22, but they need four wins to tie the 75 points they had in 2022-23.
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