OTTAWA -- Head coach John Tortorella is normally a control-freak when it comes to coaching his hockey club, but he will be taking a step back to simply enjoy the experience while behind the bench of Team Alfredsson during the 2012 All-Star Weekend. When meeting with the press on Friday afternoon, Tortorella continuously urged that this weekend's events are all about the players and showcasing the skill that the game of hockey possesses. He, in no way, will be interfering with that as co-coach alongside Todd McLellan of the San Jose Sharks.
For Tortorella, as it should be with the players as well, attending All-Star Weekend is more about representing your organization/team than it is representing yourself. The fact that the New York Rangers are so well represented with four players and a coach says something about where they rank among other teams in the NHL and what they've been able to accomplish this season. They are among the best, that's for sure.
Here's a video of Tortorella's presser, in which he not only talks about All-Star Weekend, but also extensively discusses Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi and why he belongs here with the league's top talents....
Well, we now have official confirmation that Landon Girardi is, in fact, in the house. I know that was a question many of you had on your minds after the young lad stole the spotlight in HBO's 24/7.
Girardi deserves the recognition and praise he is receiving from around the league this weekend, and I think he owes a lot of that to Tortorella. Torts stated multiple times earlier in the year that Girardi deserved to be an All-Star for his contributions, and the league clearly listened. If you recall, Girardi was not one of Torts' favorites when John first became coach of the Rangers. Now, three years later, look how far that relationship has come.
This will not be the last you will hear from Tortorella and the other Rangers in attendance as I will be hitting the locker rooms prior to tonight's Skill Competition at ScotiaBank Place. I don't know how accessible Tortorella is going to be, but he is obviously number one on my list for an interview. I have plenty of questions I would like to ask him, but if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments.
Also, I plan on getting Henrik Lundqvist and Marian Gaborik's pre-competition thoughts before the two 'rivals' hit the ice against each other this evening. These two have even brought their trash talk to Twitter - it's been fun to watch and hopefully I can pull more of it out of them.
And again, if you have any questions you would like me to ask any of the Rangers in attendance, or coach Torts for that matter, don't hesitate to leave them in the comments or tweet them at me (@NickMonteRT).
Although this weekend is supposed to be about the players, I also think a lot of it is about the fans of the game as well. It's a celebration of sorts of the top talent in this wonderful league that we are fans of. And since most of you are not here in Ottawa, my goal is to bring the experience - the celebration - to you with behind-the-scenes coverage.
I promise, I won't disappoint. Plus, today is my birthday and what better way to spend it than interviewing professional hockey players? These experiences are like a dream come true for me.
Comments