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Tortorella Gets Back In Game, Lands TV Gig

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By ERIK ERLENDSSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2008

TAMPA - As NHL teams finalize plans for training camps this month, John Tortorella - for the first time he can remember in his career - is preparing for something completely different.

The former Lightning coach was announced as a studio analyst for Canadian television station TSN during its nationally televised games this season.

But if viewers plan to see the same Tortorella they witnessed in the 10-second sound bites during postgame interviews, the 2004 Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year said fans will be disappointed.

"There's this perception of me that I'm some kind of ranting and raving lunatic and all I do is rip people, but that's not the case, and people don't really know who I am," Tortorella said Thursday. "What this does is allow me to give everybody some insight into what it's like to handle a tough loss and then have to come out and talk to the media 10 minutes later."

As much as Tortorella is looking forward to learning about life in front of the camera as an analyst, coaching is what he still loves and it's what he still wants to do.

He interviewed for jobs this summer with San Jose, Atlanta and the New York Islanders, but he never got a second call with the Sharks and said he didn't feel strongly enough about the other two opportunities.

But if an opportunity arises this season, Tortorella - who will be on TSN at least two nights per week during the season - has a clause in his television contract that allows him to pursue a coaching position.

"I love the game and I enjoy being in the battle," he said. "I still think I'm a good coach.

"I love to teach, I love to coach."

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@tampatrib.com.

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