When John Tortorella was hired, the Flyers knew they were getting a coach known for squeezing every ounce of compete out of his teams, no matter the talent level on the roster. It’s a reputation that precedes him, and it never comes easy. His training camps are infamously brutal, so much so that the anticipation leading up to his first one with Philadelphia had players talking.
“I think this will be the toughest training camp any of us other than Cam [Atkinson] have gone through,” Kevin Hayes said. “I think that will bring us together.”
It’s ironic looking back for Kevin Hayes to have felt that way, considering the complicated relationship he eventually had with his coach, but that’s a story for another day.