The former head coach of Sheldon Keefe defended his protege amid scrutiny surrounding the Maple Leafs' recent slump.
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella is sick of people piling on Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Hours before his team was set to take on the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, Tortorella was asked about what Keefe was going through as speculation intensified over the Toronto coach's future.
"You guys don't know anything," Tortorella said as he cut the reporter's question off. "I coached against Sheldon. I think coaches know other coaches. You guys don't know what he does. You don't know what he's done for that team.
"You guys chuck darts at him because you want some results. I guess it is always the coach that gets the darts chucked at him I know in watching him and coaching against him. I hope he jams it to you all quite honestly. Obviously not tonight.
Tortorella was coach of the Tampa Bay Lighting when Keefe last played in the NHL. Keefe has long cited Tortorella's help in transitioning to become a coach when he stepped away from his playing days.
"When I started from playing to coaching in Jr. A and I didn't know what I was doing, you fall back on experiences you had as a player,"
Keefe watched as Tortorella built a struggling team into a Stanley Cup winner in 2004.
"Seeing that succeed began the foundation in coaching when I began," Keefe added.
The Maple Leafs are currently on a season-high, four-game losing streak before taking on the Flyers for their first game at home since Oct. 20.
Tortorella coached the Columbus Blue Jackets when they defeated Keefe's Leafs in the qualification round of the 2020 NHL Playoffs.