It’s one of John Tortorella’s most famous moments. On January 18th 2014, as “Torts” was the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, a brawl erupted only two seconds into the game against the Calgary Flames.
It was all planned by the Flames, who looked like they were going to start the game with their fighters on the ice, against players like Henrik and Daniel Sedin.
Eddie Lack, who was the Canucks second goalie at the game, remember the incident.
“Everyone knew what was going to happen. They brought their fighters onto the ice and before the game, Torts entered the dressing room saying ”I’m not going to risk the Twins out there against these assholes, I have to bring my fighters on as well,” Lack tells The Hockey Beast.
Henrik and Daniel Sedin wasn’t going to face the Canucks investors. Instead, the Vancouver sent their fighter onto the ice, together with Kellan Lain, who made his NHL debut.
It was going to a rough one.
”This guy, our center, it was his first game in the NHL,” Lack tells The Hockey Beast. “His family was in attendance and he got to take the faceoff, and then it was all about trying to fight. He played for one second then he left for the showers and went home.”
Several players were given game misconducts following the brawl, that made Tortorella go crazy. But it wasn’t over.
In the intermission, cameras caught Torts outside the Flames dressing room, trying to get in.
“We went to our dressing room and [Alex] Burrows I think came running, screaming ‘Torts’s in the Calgary locker room, fuck. He’s going in’,”, Lack tells the Hockey Beast.
”It was a lot of fun. There were plenty of players running out there but it was already too late. They had Torts removed.”
