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Watch: Flyers Coach Breaks Out Brutal Conditioning Test

The Philadelphia Flyers' head coach has a unique skating test that he puts every one of his teams through at training camp.

Jacob Punturi

Mar 28, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella looks towards the play against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella looks towards the play against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia Flyers have one of the most unique head coaches in the league with John Tortorella behind the bench. Known for his blunt comments to the media, an abrasive coaching style, and seen as a polarizing figure in the NHL community, the Flyers are heading into year three under his leadership. The team has yet to make the playoffs under Torts, but things are pointing up this year.

While the Flyers and Tortorella adjust and prepare for the 2024-2025 season, there's one part of Torts' coaching repertoire that remains unchanged: the rope. One of the most grueling skating and conditioning tests players go through, Tortorella has been utilizing it since he was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning 20 years ago.

The test is rather simple: a rope is tied to two nets on either side of the ice. They start out a relatively small distance apart, and then continuously move further apart as the number of laps around the ice increase. By the end of the session, the two nets are on complete opposite ends of the ice, the rope is completely stretched out, and the players are pushed to their absolute limits. In a recent video the Flyers put out about the test, their head coach gave a brief back story on how it came to be.

"I needed something for them to skate around on the ice, so I put it between the nets," he said. "That's how the rope came about."

From the Lightning, to the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and now the Flyers, every one of Torts' players has gone through this conditioning test. From top stars to rookies, it challenges each person to push past their breaking point and encourage each other to finish.

"You find out about what the athlete is about in those types of situations," Torts said. "Very physical, but more mental for me."

For Flyers' alternate captain Travis Konecny, he didn't mince words when talking about the rope test. In the same video, he made it clear that no one likes it, but they do it anyways.

"I absolutely hate the skate test," Konecny said. "I think everybody does."

However they feel about it, the Flyers' will open training camp with their players skating lap after lap. It may not be anyone's favorite, but as long as Tortorella is running the show, expect to see the rope every year.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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