John Tortorella Talking About What It's Like Coaching Matvei Michkov Is Proof That People Can Change
To be fair, John Tortorella's edges have been softening up a little bit over the years. But I think Matvei Michkov might just be the perfect player at the perfect time to completely change this man's heart.
Listening to Torts talk about coaching Michkov is almost like he just became a new father. He has this little human who he loves tremendously and fills him up with so much joy. But the only issue is that he can't really communicate with him properly. He can't just tell the baby that he's making a bottle that'll be ready in a couple of minutes, because the baby has no idea what you're saying and thinks he's never going to eat again. You learn to have some patience and a little compassion because you love that little baby and want him to grow up to be spectacular.
It's the same exact thing with John Tortorella and Matvei Michkov. He can't just tell him in the middle of the game what he's doing wrong because he can't speak Russian, and Michkov has a real loose grasp on the English language. So he lets the kid loose for a little while, they have a meeting once a week to talk about what's good and what's bad, and Torts just hopes that this little bundle of joy turns into everything he would ever hope and dream he could become.
Now sure. There were 2 games a few weeks ago where Matvei Michkov ended up in the press box. And that sent Flyers fans down a chaotic spiral of doom thinking that John Tortorella was about to completely butcher this kid's growth and career. Mainly because Flyers fans are idiots and can't comprehend the idea that healthy scratching a 19-year-old kid who is playing in North America for the first time in a country where he doesn't speak the language doesn't mean that Torts was putting Michkov in the dog house. It wasn't a punishment, but just an opportunity to Michkov to get a break and really watch the things that Tortorella is telling him to do. You had dipshits like Tyrone Johnson (who has probably watched 10 minutes of Flyers hockey in the last 5 years) say that John Tortorella needed to resign for benching Michkov.
And listen. I get it. When people think about John Tortorella, they think about a hard ass coach who is stuck in the ways of the past. A guy who is going to work his players into the ground, relentlessly scream at his players to work harder, who isn't going to put up with young players still developing, and is going to be an absolute prick to the media after the games.
And to be fair, that was John Tortorella for a long time. John Tortorella used to be a piece of shit. But people can change.
John Tortorella isn't the same old Torts anymore. Sure, he's still got a little edge to him. Sure, he's still going to give short answers to meaningless reporters after the game. But John Tortorella isn't "out to get" Matvei Michkov. He's not out to get anyone. He is going to tell you how it is, but he's not too much of a prick to never change his stance on a player.
After listening to the ways he's had to adapt to coach Michkov, and the way he never gave up hope on a guy like Travis Sanheim, it's hard to argue that John Tortorella isn't the perfect coach for this Flyers team right now that is still rebuilding. Maybe he won't be the guy who is here when the team is finally taking that next step towards becoming a legitimate contender. But anyone who thinks he shouldn't be here right now has no idea what they're talking about. Again, people can change.
P.S. -- Dream scenario here. John Tortorella using the Carolina Hurricanes as the blueprint on how he wants the Flyers to play. Ultimately after a couple more seasons, Rod Brind'Amour and the Canes split ways. Brind'Amour comes back to Philadelphia and the team is already playing his style of hockey for a seamless transition. Stanley Cups.