Getty Images
No matter how badly Philadelphia Flyers followers need the No. 1 general choose within the 2023 NHL Draft, head coach John Tortorella desires them to cease asking him to tank.
In his press convention on Friday, Tortorella was requested in regards to the portion of the fan base that wishes the Flyers to lose and enhance their draft lottery odds. Tortorella revealed that he has acquired mail from followers about tanking, however he is not too keen on the thought.
“You would not consider the mail I get,” Tortorella mentioned. “Just cease sending me mail about tanking. There’s no such factor as skilled athletes tanking. They wouldn’t be capable to stay with themselves in the event that they went residence and did one thing to attempt to disturb an final result of a recreation. It is asinine. Just do not deliver up that topic. It’s incorrect.”
While he understands the followers’ need to draft a participant like Connor Bedard, Tortorella mentioned he needed to rebuild the staff whereas additionally implementing an excellent tradition. He would not need to tempt destiny by angering the mythological “hockey gods.”
“There are hockey gods too,” Tortorella mentioned. “They’re there. You go about your online business the proper method each day. You look your self within the mirror and also you say, ‘Did I give all the pieces?’ You stay with the circumstance. Eventually, when you do it the proper method, you are gonna come out on the proper aspect of it. You wouldn’t consider my mail. It’s loopy. I admire the need of profitable and getting again to the place we need to be. You do not do it by tanking. You do it the best way we’re gonna do it right here.”
In its final 4 video games, Philadelphia has gone 3-0-1, which has resulted within the staff hurting its probabilities to land the No. 1 general choose. Still, the Flyers have an honest likelihood to win the draft lottery, and Totorella is not about to let his staff slack off anyway.
