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The John Tortorella era is officially over in Philadelphia. After a horrible 2024-25 season for the Flyers — they're battling just to stay out of the Eastern Conference basement with nine games left — management decided to part ways with the veteran head coach on Thursday morning.
“Today I made the very difficult decision to move on from John as our head coach,” Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said in the official release. “John played a vital role in our rebuild. He set a standard of play and re-established what it means to be a Philadelphia Flyer. John's passion on the bench was only equaled by his charitable work in our community. As we move into the next chapter of this rebuild, I felt this was the best for our team to move forward. I'd like to thank John for his tireless work and commitment to the Flyers.”
Tortorella was in his third campaign coaching the Flyers, and will end his tenure in the City of Brotherly Love at 97-107-33. The 66-year-old was the oldest active bench boss in the league, and now will presumably move on to other opportunities if he decides to continue coaching in the National.
Over a long coaching career — 23 seasons to be exact — Torts has managed a 770-648-165 record along with 37 ties. He led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup championship in 2004 and ranks ninth all-time in wins. He will be replaced by Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw for the rest of the season.
The most likely scenario is that Briere and the front office will do an exhaustive search for a new permanent head coach for 2025-26 and beyond. Here are three realistic options to be the next head coach of the Flyers.
Joel Quenneville would be an interesting but controversial hire
While Joel Quenneville certainly wouldn't be the most popular hire — just as Stan Bowman wasn't received warmly when he was hired as the GM of the Edmonton Oilers — he's inarguably a great coach.
Second in NHL coaching wins at 969, behind only the legend Scotty Bowman, Quenneville took a group of great players in Chicago and turned them into a dynasty. Coaching the Blackhawks between 2008-18, he led the franchise to three Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
The 2010 championship was the Hawks' first since 1961, ending the then-longest championship drought in the National. But there is a black cloud hanging over that title, as in October of 2021 an independant investigation found that former video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted prospect Kyle Beach during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Quenneville, along with several members of the organization's leadership team, knew and opted to defer any action against Aldrich until after the Finals. The longtime coach re-signed from his role as head coach of the Florida Panthers days after, and had this to say:
“I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered. My former team – the Blackhawks — failed Kyle and I own my share of that. I want to reflect on how all this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone.”
Quenneville and commissioner Gary Bettman agreed that it wasn't appropriate for the bench boss to continue coaching, and he was ineligible to coach in the NHL for almost three years. He was reinstated on July 1, 2024 to seek future employment with the league.
Again, this would not be the most popular hire — and there's no indication the front office in Philadelphia wants anything to do with Quenneville — but it seems like only a matter of time before the 66-year-old coaches in the league again.
Jay Woodcroft should get another opportunity
A much safer choice to replace Tortorella behind the Flyers bench is Jay Woodcroft. After beginning his coaching career in the video room with the Detroit Red Wings in 2005, he won a Stanley Cup with the Wings in 2008.
The next season, he joined the San Jose Sharks as an assistant under Todd McLellan, and in April of 2015 joined the Edmonton Oilers organization. He got his first crack as a head coach — albeit with an interim label — with the Edmonton Oilers in 2022 after spending a couple of seasons with their American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield Condors.
He had a fantastic run in the back half of the 2021-22 season, helping the Oilers make a run all the way to the Western Conference Final. Unfortunately, after losing in the second round the next year, he was fired early into the 2023-24 campaign after the team started 3-9-1. He is waiting in the wings for his next opportunity and would make a lot of sense for Philadelphia. Briere will likely interview Woodcroft in his search for a new bench boss this summer.
David Carle is ready for the big leagues
The only coach on this list without NHL experience is David Carle — but that won't be the case for much longer. Arguably the greatest coach in North America not behind a professional bench, Carle has led the University of Denver to two national championships in three years, helping the program capture the title in 2021-22 and 2023-24.
But his claim to fame is the incredible success he's had with the US national junior team. He's coached the United States for two consecutive World Junior Hockey Championships and won gold both times. After beating Sweden 6-2 in the final in 2024, the States bested Finland 4-3 in overtime in January of 2025.
The back-to-back titles are the first time that's happened in the history of US hockey, and at only 35 years old, Carle is already a legend in the US coaching scene.
While Briere and Flyers management might look for a more experienced coach — someone like Quenneville or Woodcroft, among others — Carle will be getting an NHL promotion at some point.
It'll be interesting to see the direction that Philly goes as they look to return to relevance after an abysmal 2024-25 campaign. There will certainly be a long interview process this summer as the franchise looks for much better results in 2025-26 and beyond.
