John Tortorella Could Rejoin The Rangers In A Different Role

John Tortorella could rejoin the New York Rangers, but not as the team’s head coach.

The Rangers fired Peter Laviolette after the 2024-25 season and the organization is now tasked with finding a new head coach. 

With Mike Sullivan mutually agreeing to part ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he skyrocketed to the No. 1 coaching candidate for the Rangers. 

So where does Tortorella fit into this equation and how does he have anything to do with Sullivan?

Well actually, Sullivan served as an assistant coach for the Rangers under Tortorella from 2009-2013, so the two are very familiar with each other. 

On top of their time with the Rangers over a decade ago, Sullivan served as head coach for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off a few months ago with Tortorella as his assistant. 

There are no direct reports to confirm this idea, but if the Rangers were to hire Sullivan, maybe he could bring on Tortorella to be his assistant coach. 

They seem to have a good relationship while Tortorella also has ties with both Rangers owner James Dolan and president Chris Drury. 

It’s also unclear if Tortorella will get another head coaching gig in this cycle, so building up his resume as an assistant under Sullivan could be beneficial for him.

It’s just a theory as the Sullivan to New York rumors continue to gain traction.