San Jose Sharks Joe Thornton is learning that you don’t get on the wrong side of New York Rangers coach John Tortorella.
Following the Sharks‘ 5-2 loss to the Rangers, Thornton made the blunder of calling Torts’ team “soft.”
“They were probably the softest team we played on the trip. We should have had these two points,” Thornton said in the midst of the Sharks’ six-game road swing.
“We played some good teams, and I think we probably should have beat these guys, to be honest with you.”
Innocuous enough, but this is John Tortorella we are talking about. When he caught word of what Jumbo Joe said, he promptly sounded off.
“Yeah it caught me off-guard when it was brought up after the game,” Tortorella said at the team’s Greenburgh practice facility Tuesday morning. “It surprised me, and I’ve never heard a player say that. Joe’s a heck of a player, but here’s a player popping off about our team, and Joe hasn’t won a g–damn thing in this league. He could go down as a player, being one of the better players in our league never to win anything. So what he should do is just shut up. It was uncalled for, it was classless, and I’ve never had it happen like that before.”
Tell us how you really feel, coach.
Thornton shouldn’t take it personally—this type of rant is an everyday occurrence for Tortorella. Unfortunately, the two teams don’t meet again this season.
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