The Philadelphia Flyers took on the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, both vying for a spot in the playoffs. Yet with tensions so high, the Flyers' head coach was ejected long before the end of the first period. However, this ejection has been met with unexpected reactions from other members of the team's leadership.
In only the first twelve minutes of gameplay, the Flyers were down 4-0. Their head coach did not take kindly to this and started lashing out at the officiants. As a result, he was ejected. However, not to be left unheard, he refused to leave the bench and continued fighting for his team.
The situation for Tortorella did not go great during the game and was generally expected to have to pay a fine as per the standard course of action. Yet, in a surprising turn of events, the team CEO praised him for his courage to stand up for his team, saying he would gladly pay for any fines incurred for this incident.
While already an unexpected reaction, it seems Hilfery is not alone in this sentiment. Despite apparent profanity and belligerence, many fans and former players have joined the CEO in applauding Torts for speaking his truth.
With much of the public giving a nod of respect to the coach, it will be fascinating to see what fines, if any, actually get presented. It may change the future of how coaches interact with referees regarding their teams.
