Torts Back Behind Bench

Less than a year after being fired by the Lightning, John Tortorella is set to bring his coaching bravado to Broadway.

Tortorella will be on the ice this morning as the new head coach of the New York Rangers, who fired Tom Renney on Monday. Tortorella's first game will be Wednesday in Toronto.

After starting 10-2-1, the Rangers are in downward spiral, having lost 10 of the past 12 and slipped to sixth in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of ninth-place Carolina.

"Torts is going to bring a lot more fire to his approach," Rangers general manager Glen Sather told reporters on a conference call Monday.

Tortorella was let go in May after 61/2 seasons behind the Lightning bench. The team's all-time victory leader led Tampa Bay to four consecutive playoff appearances from 2003 to 2007, which included two Southeast Division titles, an Eastern Conference championship and a Stanley Cup in 2004. He had spent this season as an analyst for TSN television in Canada.

Tortorella was in transit to New York on Monday night and unavailable for comment.

Renney was fired Monday morning and Tortorella was Sather's first choice, although he admitted speaking to other candidates. But other issues held up the deal before New York could make the hire official.

Among those is whether the Rangers reached a deal with Tortorella, who was technically under contract with Tampa Bay, before speaking to the Lightning, or whether they were even required.

After Tortorella was let go, he was given a letter by the team granting him permission to seek another coaching position, permission that was never rescinded. That would then absolve the Rangers from seeking permission or the Lightning from receiving any form of compensation.

In addition, Lightning associate coach Mike Sullivan reportedly has a clause in his contract that allows him to join Tortorella should he land another head coaching position. The Rangers also let go assistant coach Perry Pearn and named Jim Schoenfeld as an interim assistant coach. Tortorella was an assistant under Schoenfeld in Phoenix.

E-mails sent Monday night to Tampa Bay co-owner Oren Koules and General Manager Brian Lawton were not returned.