John Tortorella was unceremoniously let go from the Vancouver Canucks after just one season behind the bench and he said Friday that he "deserved to be fired."
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Tortorella spoke to WDAE 620 in Tampa Bay and said that it was the right decision for the Canucks to release him based on the terrible second half Vancouver had in the 2013-14 campaign.
"We had a great first half but I don't think I did the job for the team the second half, with our consistency," Tortorella told the radio station, according to NHL.com. "And I think that's what cost me my job. We just ... we couldn't stop the losing streaks. We needed to win a couple of games within those areas. And quite honestly, I deserved to get fired after that second half of the year."
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The downswing of the Canucks began on Jan. 18 of last year when a line brawl opened up their game with the Calgary Flames and the coach consequently was seen trying to get at Flames coach Bob Hartley in the dressing room between periods.
Following the game, Tortorella was suspended 15 games by the NHL and the Canucks -- who entered that controversial game holding the first spot in the Western Conference -- went 12-19-2 the rest of the season.
Vancouver finished eight points out of a playoff spot, missing the postseason for the first time since 2007-08.
Tortorella was then fired on May 1, 2014.
To his credit, the former Stanley Cup-winning coach owned up to his mistakes.
"I know I make my own bed in some of these different things that's happened," Tortorella said. "You're talking to a guy that went down the hallway after another coach last year, which was so, so across the line and so embarrassing to my organization and my team."
Tortorella, 56, coached the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2000-08, the New York Rangers from 2008-13 and the Canucks during the 2013-14 campaign, but currently doesn't have a gig in the NHL.
Tortorella was fired by the Rangers in 2013 before joining the Canucks the very next season and he won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004.
The former coach owns a 444-371-37-78 record in his career behind the bench through 930 games with three division titles, eight playoff appearances and one Stanley Cup.
Tortorella will return to Tampa Bay this weekend to help coach one side of the Lightning Conference All-Star Game, which features the best area high school hockey players as part of the Lightning's Hockey Day in Tampa Bay on Sunday.
It's been over a decade since Tortorella won the Cup with Tampa Bay and seven years since he coached the Lightning, but he enjoys watching this year's team, which is tied for the Eastern Conference lead with 74 points.
"It's a little bit difficult for me," he said. "I feel funny going there. That's not my team. I just don't feel comfortable being around that much because it isn't my squad. I don't want to get in the way. I've been here a couple months and watching them, and, boy, are they an exciting team to watch."
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