TAMPA, Fla. — John Tortorella was fired Tuesday as coach of the Lightning, four years after leading the team to its only Stanley Cup title. He had one season remaining on his contract.
The Lightning was 239- 222-36-38 and made the playoffs four times in 6 1/2 seasons under Tortorella, who took over a perennial last-place team in January 2001 and helped transform it into a championship contender in three years.
“He did something I think is very, very difficult for anyone to do, but certainly difficult for a coach to do. That’s change the culture,” general manager Jay Feaster said. “This was a country club, a retirement home. It was a place players came to retire, they just forgot to tell us they were doing it.”
There has been speculation about television analyst and former Kings coach Barry Melrose possibly replacing Tortorella.
Kapanen retires
VOORHEES, N.J. — Flyers right wing Sami Kapanen retired from the NHL and plans to return to Finland and play for a team he owns.
Kapanen said the injuries he has struggled with in recent seasons and his decreased playing time led to his decision to return home. He hopes to play at least one more full season of hockey before retiring from the sport.
“I don’t want to leave the game on terms of disappointment and bitterness,” he said. “I want to go out having fun.”
The two-time all-star had 458 points (189 goals, 269 assists) in his 12-year career.
Footnotes.
Swedish defenseman Dennis Persson, the Sabres’ 2006 first-round pick, signed a three-year entry- level contract with the team.
• The triple-overtime thriller in the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday earned a 4.3 overnight rating and an 8 share on NBC — the best Game 5 rating since the Carolina-Detroit matchup in 2002 drew a 4.5. The Associated Press
