I do not think he "mistreated" any player.
- mickel25

I think he has and he has a track record of it.

As I have said many times, Risto is the best defenseman on the Flyers, and this story just antoher example of it. Archaic coach .. are you kidding me!
- jd250

Why wasn't he selected for the Ashbee award?

OMG .. that is what you call mistreatment? Do you know what happened that prompted the respective benchings? Were you in the locker room? Perhaps both players didn't take his coaching? Perhaps both players didn't come to see Torts and have it out with him? Perhaps both players needed a kick in the arse and that was the best way to do it? I don't know if this is true or not, but to call being benched as mistreatment is exactly the attitude that entitles today's professional athlete, and its wrong IMO.
- jd250

Being benched isn't being mistreated. Being benched in those particular games in their hometowns with family in attendance is. It's petty and unprofessional. I get a big kick out of when someone tells another they don't know what happened and weren't in the locker room. Then goes on to speculate what might have happened.

What you have simply done is invent from fantasy instead of reality. That's why all of your conclusions are completely flawed. Think about what you're saying here. That in the past 9 NHL seasons, Ristolainen never had real coaching? You don't have to have a lick of hockey knowledge to know how ridiculous that statement is.
- MJL

Given the ferris wheel of horrible coaches that were coming in and out of Buffalo, and the fact that least season Av was fired 20 games into the season, you really just need a little hockey knowledge to know Risto was not able to get the coaching he obviously needed. He got it this year, and we all see the results.

Torts is not honest. He quite obviously benched Frost and Sanheim in their home cities as spiteful punishment, and then lied about not knowing they had friends and family in attendance. They both played 81 out of 82 games.

Why wasn't he selected for the Ashbee award?
- corduroy

Rank of Flyers defenseman this year.

York
Provorov
Sanheim
Seeler
Ristolainen
Angelo

Do you think there is potential for a really good player to not get along with Tortorella and offend his idiosyncrasies. Causing Tortorella to lobby against the player? We already know that he has mistreated good players and had to be forced to play younger players more.
- MJL

See Pierre-Luc Dubois - Patrik Laine among others

Being benched isn't being mistreated. Being benched in those particular games in their hometowns with family in attendance is. It's petty and unprofessional. I get a big kick out of when someone tells another they don't know what happened and weren't in the locker room. Then goes on to speculate what might have happened.
- MJL

You see it as unprofessional, I see it as a coach that is making it crystal clear to everyone on and around the team as to who is in charge. I don't believe Torts when he stated he didn't know the players were playing in their respective home towns. He absolutely knew it and he used that to send a message. Torts obviously felt he needed to do this. The question is why did he feel this way? Did he do it simply because he is a sedistic person that loves to mess with people, or did he do it to send a clear message. I tend to think the latter.

Given the ferris wheel of horrible coaches that were coming in and out of Buffalo, and the fact that least season Av was fired 20 games into the season, you really just need a little hockey knowledge to know Risto was not able to get the coaching he obviously needed. He got it this year, and we all see the results.
- jd250

Coaches are routinely fired. That does not in any way support that Ristolainen has never had real coaching in his entire NHL career. You've often given credit to Shaw for coaching Ristolainen. What about past assistant coaches he has had in his career? Your comment belies simple common sense. The results are that Ristolainen is now a mediocre 3rd pair defenseman with a 5M cap hit that the Flyers gave up a 1st, 2nd and a player to acquire.

Tortorella said the players will get the blunt honesty from him, whether they want it or not.

The media should really push back on blatant lies like this.

Sanheim specifically stated that he was not told why he was benched for the Calgary game.

https://twitter.com/charl.../1646922445608083457?s=20

I think he has and he has a track record of it.
- MJL

Benching a player is not "mistreating" a player in my eyes.

Given the ferris wheel of horrible coaches that were coming in and out of Buffalo, and the fact that least season Av was fired 20 games into the season, you really just need a little hockey knowledge to know Risto was not able to get the coaching he obviously needed. He got it this year, and we all see the results.
- jd250

Torts got him to stop running around like a doofus. He and RR both get marks for finally ironing that out.

But RR's net front coverage, his blueline defense, his transition play... all still horrible. Hopefully they can improve those because he's gonna be here for awhile.

Rank of Flyers defenseman this year.

York
Provorov
Sanheim
Seeler
Ristolainen
Angelo
- MJL

Pretty pathetic group of players, I don’t disagree with that ranking. As far as ranking against expectations
Seeler
Risto
York
Provy
Sanheim
Angelo

You see it as unprofessional, I see it as a coach that is making it crystal clear to everyone on and around the team as to who is in charge. I don't believe Torts when he stated he didn't know the players were playing in their respective home towns. He absolutely knew it and he used that to send a message. Torts obviously felt he needed to do this. The question is why did he feel this way? Did he do it simply because he is a sedistic person that loves to mess with people, or did he do it to send a clear message. I tend to think the latter.
- jd250

A coach can't scratch the player in a different game to show he is in charge? He did try and use it to send a message. It was petty, unprofessional and its mistreatment of a player. Tortorella clearly craves and wants conflict. He is not only a mediocre coach but he is a damaged person.

Foerster with two, Lycsell two apples, sorry for spelling

See Pierre-Luc Dubois - Patrik Laine among others
- corduroy

One has done nothing since Torts "mistreated" him. The other was on his second team when Torts "mistreated" him.

I think both players deserved what they got.

Torts got him to stop running around like a doofus. He and RR both get marks for finally ironing that out.

But RR's net front coverage, his blueline defense, his transition play... all still horrible. Hopefully they can improve those because he's gonna be here for awhile.
- Tomahawk

100% agree with all of this. He did not get better. He got less terrible.

Coaches are routinely fired. That does not in any way support that Ristolainen has never had real coaching in his entire NHL career. You've often given credit to Shaw for coaching Ristolainen. What about past assistant coaches he has had in his career? Your comment belies simple common sense. The results are that Ristolainen is now a mediocre 3rd pair defenseman with a 5M cap hit that the Flyers gave up a 1st, 2nd and a player to acquire.
- MJL

Here we go, back to the trade. Because Robert Hagg is lighting up the NHL these days. Just for reference, Hagg was traded to Florida and then to Detroit where he played a whopping 38 games and produced 7 points. At the end of the day the Flyers are stuck with Risto and at least Torts is getting the most out of him. He is much better than a 3rd pairing defenseman now, he has improved enough to be a top 4 of this team next year, as well as a main stay on the PK and should be on the PP point.

Torts got him to stop running around like a doofus. He and RR both get marks for finally ironing that out.

But RR's net front coverage, his blueline defense, his transition play... all still horrible. Hopefully they can improve those because he's gonna be here for awhile.
- Tomahawk

It is the equivalent of putting a dog on a leash and saying he stopped running away. When and if they get a new coach in here. One who would play a modern puck pressure, transition and attacking system. We would again see that Ristolainen has not changed or truly improved. He will still have the same lack of hockey sense and poor all around game. His truly only valuable quality as a player is a decent ability to play in the offensive zone.

A coach can't scratch the player in a different game to show he is in charge? He did try and use it to send a message. It was petty, unprofessional and its mistreatment of a player. Tortorella clearly craves and wants conflict. He is not only a mediocre coach but he is a damaged person.
- MJL

It's like when Babs scratched Modano for his 1500th game, guaranteeing he'd be stuck at 1499. He basically lost the Wings' room after he did that.

Players will stand up for each other.

Here we go, back to the trade. Because Robert Hagg is lighting up the NHL these days. Just for reference, Hagg was traded to Florida and then to Detroit where he played a whopping 38 games and produced 7 points. At the end of the day the Flyers are stuck with Risto and at least Torts is getting the most out of him. He is much better than a 3rd pairing defenseman now, he has improved enough to be a top 4 of this team next year, as well as a main stay on the PK and should be on the PP point.
- jd250

The Flyers would be better off with Hagg now than Ristolainen. He is not a top 4 defenseman in this league. At least not on a good team.

He got less terrible.
- mickel25

"We got less terrible" should be the official flyers motto for 23-24.

"We got less terrible" should be the official flyers motto for 23-24.
- Tomahawk

Bright orange T-shirt with bold black text. Giveaway at every home game. One size fits all.

The media should really push back on blatant lies like this.

Sanheim specifically stated that he was not told why he was benched for the Calgary game.

https://twitter.com/charl.../1646922445608083457?s=20
- Feanor

Tortorella would just lie again or say it stays in the room between the players and the team.

"We got less terrible" should be the official flyers motto for 23-24.
- Tomahawk

I think the team goal is to be the 3rd most improved team instead of 5th