Philadelphia coach John Tortorella was ejected from the Flyers' game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after receiving a game misconduct and bench minor early in the match. The incident occurred just 10:49 into the game with the Flyers trailing 4-0.
Tortorella expressed his displeasure towards the officials and initially refused to leave the bench. However, he eventually relented and headed to the locker room, leaving associate coach Brad Shaw to take over coaching duties for the remainder of the game.
Shaw addressed the media after the game, acknowledging the emotional nature of hockey and refraining from commenting on the officiating decisions. He mentioned that emotions can run high during games, leading to tense moments like the one involving Tortorella.
Prior to Tortorella's ejection, a penalty call on Tampa Bay's Michael Eyssimont for tripping was later changed to Flyers defenseman Ronnie Attard after a discussion between the officials. This decision was met with some criticism from the Flyers' coaching staff.
Shortly after the penalty incident, Flyers right wing Garnet Hathaway received a 10-minute misconduct for making contact with Tampa Bay's Anthony Cirelli during a timeout, adding to the drama of the game.
The unexpected ejection of Tortorella surprised many, including Flyers center Sean Couturier, who questioned whether the coach deserved to be kicked out based on his actions. The incident drew comparisons to Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, who shared a story of his own ejection during his coaching career.
Despite the ejection, the Lightning went on to secure a dominant 7-0 victory over the Flyers, overshadowing the coaching drama that unfolded during the game.
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