The physical aspect of hockey has always appealed to a section of the audience, including John Tortorella, who believes that “the art of accepting physical controls” has been lost over time.
The Philadelphia Flyers head coach made the comment after his forward Garnet Hathaway was ejected from the game against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night for particularly harsh contact with Luke Hughes.
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That slightly late tackle, as several players chased after the puck, didn’t do too much damage as the young defenseman was in uniform for the game against the San Jose Sharks the next day.
Luke Hughes goes to the locker room after this Garnet Hathaway goal.
Hathaway was assessed a major five-minute penalty and sent off. pic.twitter.com/KRfhCXeN5E
– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 1, 2023
According to Tortorella, Hathaway should never have received a serious five-minute penalty and simply should not have been penalized. The American believes that not so long ago players responded better to these impressive shoulder strikes.
“I’m not trying to humiliate the league. I just think we took control of the game away from the players. Before, and I’m not trying to go very far, you had to learn to make contact,” he said in a post-match press conference.
“And if you give a good punch to the shoulder, you shouldn’t have to fight someone two seconds later. That’s what I don’t understand. “I don’t blame anyone, I just don’t like where the sport is going,” added Tortorella, who is known for his sometimes controversial statements.