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Torts Apologizes for “Terrible Mistake” in Shrugging Off Felix Sandstrom Question
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We did a short post earlier Tuesday, noting that Flyers PR clarified John Tortorella’s non-verbal, Felix Sandstrom-related gesturing on Sunday night. Torts was asked about Sandstrom, who had a horrible game, and basically shrugged twice while emphatically dropping his hands on the dais. Flyers PR told Jordan Hall that Torts was suggesting that his backup goaltender was “trying his ass off,” and Torts actually apologized at Rangers pregame media availability:
“I made a terrible mistake with you guys the other night… my body language was wrong. What I should have said to you guys, I tried to communicate after (via PR) – he’s trying. Sandy is trying. Things happened this year that put our goaltending situation into a little bit of a state of flux. Sandy did not deserve that from me. You (Hall) had a perfect right to ask the question. He did not deserve that from me. It was wrong. So how we go about it with him, we’re just not getting too far ahead.”
Fair play to Torts here. I was not expecting an apology, nor do I think he had to give one. But sometimes tough love, or whatever we’re calling it, can be construed as throwing a guy under the bus, and obviously the coach regretted the non-verbal response, so he clarified and corrected. Now we move on to more important things, like beating the everliving shit out of the New York Rangers.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com