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Some things change, but not former CBJ coach John Tortorella

Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights John Tortorella during the post game press conference after the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Jun 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights John Tortorella during the post game press conference after the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in game two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

One of the main things you will notice if you follow sports for long enough: the only constant is change. Whether it's management, players, coaches, or even the fans; people tick at very different paces.

They come and go, and the team ebbs and flows with or without them. That's just the nature of the beast. But, sometimes, we get a refreshing personality that just refuses to change their ways. Maybe the best example of that is former Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella.

Torts is currently leading the Vegas Golden Knights in their quest for a Stanley Cup. They lost a big one last night in Raleigh, dropping their second game in a row and now finding themselves down 3-2 in the series.

As a result of their struggles, our old bench boss is once again full of headline-worthy clips. Look no further than his clap-back to Daily Faceoff's Jonny Lazarus in the post-game press conference:

We became accustomed to this kind of sound bite in Columbus, but scarcely to this extreme. That's probably due to the lack of national media attention on the Blue Jackets, though the media here was far from exempt.

Just ask Mark Scheig, who covers the Blue Jackets for The Hockey Writers:

That's the kind of response that often has John Tortorella in the media spotlight. Which is funny, considering the fact that he often works as an analyst for ESPN when he's not coaching.

Another response harkened back memories of the CBJ's 2019 playoff run.

Remember when the Blue Jackets went down 3 games to 2 in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs back in 2019?

They lost to the Boston Bruins on the road, with David Pastrnak burying a dagger with under 90 seconds left in the third period. The series was not over yet, as the Jackets would have a chance to even it up at Nationwide Arena just two nights later.

After that game 5 loss, Torts treated us to one of the most inspiring quotes in Blue Jackets history:

"Things happen for a reason and I truly believe that. We’ll be back here for Game 7."
John Tortorella

Of course, we all know the outcome of this one. Tuukka Rask stonewalled the Jackets in game 6, making 39 saves en route to a 3-0 shutout win; ending the Cinderalla playoff run for our beloved team. We never got that promised game 7, and it still hurts.

This sprung into my memory after last night's VGK loss, because Torts said something similar to the media:

Hopefully, for his sake, and the sake of those of us who have enjoyed this Stanley Cup Final series; history does not repeat itself. We would love to see another two games of this series, regardless the outcome.

Best of luck, coach.

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