The New York Rangers' 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday was a monumental win for its head coach.
John Tortorella got win No. 300 as an NHL head coach in this, his 10th season leading an NHL franchise.
Tortorella never reached the NHL as a player, ending his playing career with the Virginia Lancers of the ACHL. The right winger scored 70 goals in two seasons with the Lancers and totaled 183 points.
After his final season as a player (1985-86), the 28-year-old Tortorella began his coaching career as head coach of the Lancers. In two seasons, he won 73 games, lost 24 in regulation and one in overtime, and had three ties.
In 1988, Tortorella became an assistant coach of the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL before becoming an NHL assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres from 1989-94.
After his final season with the Sabres, Tortorella became head coach of the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1995.
In his first season as head coach of the Amerks, Tortorella led the team to the championship. He was given another season as head coach of the Americans, in which his team lost in the second round of the playoff ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nick Perri
New York Rangers Coach John Tortorella Reaches 300-Win Milestone
November 20th, 2010 by Nick Perri Leave a reply »
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