The NHL suspended Vancouver Canucks coach John Tortorella 15 games on Monday for his conduct in a brawl between the Canucks and the Calgary Flames. The suspension is without pay.
Tortorella tried to enter the Flames locker room after the first period of Saturday’s game. The first period began with multiple fights and four game misconduct penalties were given to each team. Tortorella isn’t allowed to interact with the Canucks at all during his suspension. He is suspended through February 2, which means he’ll miss six games, according to the Associated Press.
''Mr. Tortorella's actions in attempting to enter the Calgary Flames locker room after the first period were both dangerous and an embarrassment to the league,'' Colin Campbell, the NHL’s senior executive vice president of hockey operations, said in a statement. ''Coaches in the NHL bear the responsibility of providing leadership, even when emotions run high, and Mr. Tortorella failed in his responsibility to the game.''
The Canucks issued a statement saying that they respect the NHL’s decision and they support Tortorella. Tortorella wasn’t the only one penalized for the incident however. Flames coach Bob Hartley was fined $25,000 for his responsibility for the incident, according to ESPN.
This isn’t the first suspension for Tortorella. He was suspended for game six of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals in 2009 while coaching the New York Rangers, for throwing a water bottle into the stands.
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