The story of John Tortorella and the 2016-2017 Columbus Blue Jackets is almost too cliché to love. High profile, but cast aside coach comes to a town that has never seen a real winner. Coach whips team full of youngsters and crusty veterans into shape. Team then takes league by storm. This is the stuff Hollywood writes that we scoff at as being too unbelievable. Thankfully this is all real. Tortorella is at the helm of a Blue Jackets team that has a shot at the President’s Trophy.
While the rest of the hockey world laughed at his hire, and many were hoping his time as coach would go up in flames, Jackets fans had no choice but to buy in.