Flyers Coach John Tortorella Refused to Leave Bench After Being Ejected

The future Hall of Fame coach was testing the waters with the officiating in the first period on Saturday night.

On the night that the 2003 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning team was honored inside of Amalie Arena in Tampa, the coach of that team, John Tortorella, stole the show as he coached the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.

Tortorella will always hold a special place in the hearts of Lightning fans, but on Saturday night, he was coaching the opposing Flyers and arguing plenty of early calls with the officials along the way.

Just over 10 minutes into the game, the Lightning jumped out to a 4–0 lead, and Tortorella had enough. He was ejected from the contest and was seen mouthing off to the officials, clearly stating he still didn’t plan to leave the bench.

Torts didn't want to leave the bench after being ejected. 😳 pic.twitter.com/VTt70Bho49

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 10, 2024

Eventually, Tortorella made his way into the tunnel and towards locker room after further exchanging words with the official,

Tortorella has long been seen as a fiery presence on the bench throughout his coaching career, and Saturday night was no different at Amalie Arena. 

Never change, Coach.