The NHL released its ranking of the top coaches in the league, dubbed the "Super 16," where they placed Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella at No. 11.
Mike G. Morreale, a senior draft writer who wrote the blurb explaining Tortorella's ranking, acknowledged that, despite an unexpectedly good season last year, the Flyers are still considered underdogs.
"[Tortorella] always seems to work his best magic when the odds are against the team he's coaching," Morreale wrote.
It was also highlighted how the high expectations of the two-time Jack Adams winner tend to help his players reach new levels on the ice.
"He knows what buttons to push to get the most out of veterans and rookies," the blurb continued. "[He] has that knack for building teams via hard work, grit and determination."
Tortorella is currently the ninth-winningest coach in NHL history with 742 wins, and is second in wins amongst U.S.-born coaches, sitting behind only the New York Rangers' bench boss Peter Laviolette (807 wins).
He won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He has been a finalist for the Jack Adams Trophy four times (2002-03, 2003-04, 2011-12, 2016-17), winning it as head coach of the Lightning in 2004 and with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017.
The 2024-25 season will mark his third season with the Flyers, and his 23rd overall.
