The Columbus Blue Jackets and John Tortorella mutually agreed to part ways earlier in May. He spent six seasons behind their bench, guiding them to four playoff appearances and their first postseason series victory. During his second season as their head coach (2016-17), he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year for the second time.
Tortorella has a reputation as a demanding and sometimes fiery-tempered coach. He's also among the more successful coaches in recent NHL history. He's tied with Peter Laviolette as the wins leaders (673) among American-born coaches and among just six coaches in league history to win the Jack Adams more than once.