John Tortorella: 'Gray areas' within Flyers' organization must get 'ironed out'

Tortorella: 'Gray areas' within Flyers' organization must get 'ironed out' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

VOORHEES, N.J. — Back in 2001-02 was John Tortorella's first full season as an NHL head coach. His Lightning team won just 27 games.

He had taken over a franchise that had a losing reputation and "country club atmosphere." By Year 3, Tampa Bay was Stanley Cup champions.

Nobody is saying Tortorella will have the Flyers hoisting the Cup in a couple of years. Different era, different circumstances. But the 64-year-old has witnessed a rebuild in which an organization was staring down trying times and was desperate for direction.

Tortorella's first season in Philadelphia has 10 games left. The Flyers are 28-32-12 and their unknown future has come under the microscope this month with change among the front office and ownership.

For some needed perspective, Tortorella was asked if the Flyers' situation related at all to one of his own coaching experiences in the past.

He was honest about what makes it different. And maybe daunting, too.

"This one for me ... a lot of losing," the head coach said Tuesday morning. "Went through it I think my first year in Tampa; it has been so long ago. The thing that's different with this for me is there's a lot of other stuff. Not just the on-ice product, but there's a lot of the other stuff that needs to get straightened out. Just a little bit too gray for me, there's a lot of gray areas that I think need to get ironed out within the whole organization. I think that is a huge part of our process."

The Flyers lost 57 games last season (25-46-11). Tortorella expected a challenge when he was hired last summer.