John Tortorella

Tortorella — or "Torts" as he is sometimes called by the press — is known for his outspoken nature. An American ice hockey coach and former player, he’s the head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

His straightforward coaching style has earned him accolades both on and off the ice. In addition to his leadership and coaching success, John is a great supporter of numerous philanthropic causes through The John and Christine Tortorella Family Foundation, with animal rescue and fundraising for local shelters being a passion.

John Tortorella has held the position of head coach of the Vancouver Canucks (2013–2014), the New York Rangers (2009–2013) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (2001–2008).

His teams have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs eight times and he led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship and the Rangers to the 2012 Eastern Conference Final.

Tortorella won his second Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year after he led the Blue Jackets to their best season in franchise history in 2016-17 (50-24-8, 108 points), finishing with the third-best record in the NHL and reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in franchise history.

Appearances

Bring the excitement of the NHL and the cache of a NHL celebrity to your events, golf tournaments or corporate dinners by having John Tortorella act as your host, emcee or engage in a meet and greet.  As a local native to Boston, Massachusetts, his ties to his community, success in the big leagues and his compelling, personal stories make John Tortorella a great speaker, as well.

Hockey Stories - Life in the NHL

What’s it really like to run a professional NHL team?  Look behind the boards to hear tales from the bench, locker room and about the players themselves.  This unique insight will provide you with lessons on goal setting, the winning edge sprinkled with humor and stories that you won’t hear anywhere else!

Leadership

What does it take to win a Stanley Cup?  Success in the NHL parallels success in business.  Learn from the greatest sports leaders today on how they lead their business and, as importantly, deal with setbacks to refocus on meeting their end goals. 

Motivating Millennials

One of the hottest debates today is “How do you motivate Millennials to drive your business forward?”  Hear from one of the best NHL Coaches, who take a different group of Millennials each year and motivate them to the reach their highest performance both individually and as a team.