Columbus’ John Tortorella assails referees, NHL in postgame rant
Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella ripped the game officials and the NHL in a fist-pounding tirade after a 3-2 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
In overtime, the Blackhawks were called for too many men on the ice with about 19 seconds left. The clock ran down 1.1 seconds after the play was whistled dead, but the time wasn’t added back. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski put the puck behind Chicago goalie Robin Lehner on the ensuing power play, but the buzzer had already sounded. Had those 1.1 seconds been put back on the clock, the goal likely would have ended the game.
“So the whistle is blown at 19.2 on the clock. For some reason, the clock is run down a second and a tenth to 18.1. Whatever reason, I have no goddamn idea. So instead of resetting the clock, [they] tell our captain, ‘We’re not going to do it.’ [The league office in] Toronto doesn’t step in, refs don’t do their freaking job and now we lose the game, and we lose our goalie,” Tortorella said after the game.
NHL vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in an email that Tortorella’s comments were “unprofessional” and “unacceptable.” He added that the NHL is dealing with the matter and has spoken with Tortorella and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.
Columbus goalie Joonas Korpisalo had to be helped from the ice after getting injured on Jonathan Toews‘ goal in the first round of the shootout. Elvis Merzlikins replaced him in the shootout, which Tortorella stressed should have never taken place.
“So the chain of events, if it was done right,” Tortorella said, striking the podium in front of him, “is that we don’t lose our goalie and we win the hockey game. So all the goddamn technology, right? The technology and getting things right … the stubbornness tonight, by the officials and by the league and Toronto, however it’s supposed to goddamn work, screws us.”
It was a frustrating loss on several fronts for Columbus, which blew a 2-0 lead to the Blackhawks in regulation. The silver lining is that the Blue Jackets’ point streak was extended to 10 games (6-0-4). But Tortorella wasn’t interested in examining the overall game after the overtime clock debacle.
“It’s ridiculous. I’m not taking any goddamn questions,” he said to end his news conference, storming away.