John Tortorella was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 21, 2015. This was during a seven-game Jackets losing streak to begin the season under Todd Richards.
Tortorella pushed the team to finish the season near .500 and move into a crucial 2016-2017 season.
There, as we all know, is where we saw the sudden and improbable rise of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Somehow, Tortorella led one of the youngest teams in the entire league to 108 points and the third playoff berth in franchise history.
That incredible play throughout the year led the Blue Jackets and Torts to begin negotiations on a contract extension.