Blue Jackets coach Tortorella gets one-year extension
Jul 31, 2017 - 8:25 PM Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella received a one-year contract extension, the team announced Monday.Financial terms were not disclosed by the club for Tortorella, who won the Jack Adams Award last season as the NHL's coach of the year. He is just the sixth coach in the league to win the award on multiple occasions, having also done so in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tortorella was entering the last season of a five-year, $10 million deal that he signed with the Vancouver Canucks in 2013. Columbus sent a draft pick to Vancouver in 2015 as compensation for hiring Tortorella.
"I'm very appreciative of the opportunity I have to coach this team and be part of a wonderful community that has been very welcoming to my family, so I thank the McConnell family, Mike Priest (president), John Davidson (president of hockey operations), Jarmo Kekalainen (general manager), our staff and the entire organization," Tortorella said in a statement. "I'm proud of the steps we've taken as a team and I look forward to continuing to work with a very good group of coaches and players."
Tortorella has led the Blue Jackets to an 84-57-16 record since replace Todd Richards on Oct. 21, 2015, highlighted by an impressive 50-24-8 mark last season. Columbus set franchise records last season for wins, points (108), home victories (28) and road points (51) while also enjoying a 32-point gain over 2015-16.
"John Tortorella and his coaching staff have done a terrific job since his arrival nearly two years ago," GM Kekalainen said. "He is one of the top coaches in our game and we are excited about what lies ahead for our club with John as our head coach."
Tortorella owns a 530-432-131 mark in 1,093 NHL games with Columbus, Vancouver, Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers, making him the winningest United States-born coach in league history.
"I give John Tortorella and all the coaching staff a ton of credit for the work they've done here," Davidson told the Blue Jackets website. "I give the players a lot of credit, especially as young as this group is for adhering to the plan. And I think everybody now is seeing even the limited success we've had, and how enjoyable it is.
"Now it's up to Tortorella, the coaches, Jarmo, myself, players, trainers, and everybody to continue that progression."
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