Controversy surrounds Columbus Blue Jackets’ coach John Tortorella after outburst
John Tortorella, the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, expressed frustration towards the referees following Sunday night’s game, accusing them of not fulfilling their duties adequately.
Tortorella remarked, “Toronto doesn’t step in, refs don’t do their freaking job and now we lose a game, and we lose our goalie,” highlighting his discontent with the referees’ decision not to add more than a single second back to the clock. He believed that if the situation had been handled correctly, the game’s outcome would have been different.
Following his statement, Tortorella left the press conference abruptly without entertaining any questions.
The NHL responded on Monday, denouncing Tortorella’s actions as “unprofessional and unacceptable.”
The NHL stated in a release, “What John expressed during his press conference was deemed unprofessional and not in alignment with our standards.” The statement further clarified the decision not to adjust the clock time, assuring that the matter was being addressed.
Tortorella’s frustration arose when the winning goal by the Blue Jackets was disallowed due to the clock running out, resulting in the Blackhawks clinching a victory.
