John Tortorella really supported Jared Bednar strongly after the Vegas team eliminated Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche in four straight games.
This was a major moment during the Western final, even after the Golden Knights secured their place in the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas won Game 4 against Colorado with a score of 2-1, finishing the series without a loss.
Avalanche fans are really upset after John Tortorella’s surprising comments about Colorado’s fall.
So, it was expected that people would start blaming Bednar.
But Tortorella stepped in to defend him instead.
As he was leaving the room, he reportedly shouted at the reporters, “Leave Bednar alone. ”
That was really straightforward.
That was definitely on purpose.
The hockey community is buzzing about John Tortorella’s recent remarks about Colorado.
He referred to Colorado as “an impressive hockey team” and mentioned that people were “getting on [Bednar’s] case” about different issues.
Then he said what truly mattered.
“He’s an excellent coach, and he has a fantastic team behind him.”
That is a bold statement from a coach who could have just enjoyed the victory and moved along.
Instead, he ensured Bednar didn’t have to face all the blame by himself.
And honestly, the timing was important.
Colorado just had a great season winning the Presidents’ Trophy, and then they got swept in the conference finals. That kind of result can make coaches face a lot of criticism quickly, especially after the team lost a game despite having a three-goal lead in Game 3 and couldn’t bounce back.
Tortorella clearly saw that criticism coming.
He also recognized the bigger picture.
The Avalanche were still a tough team, still had star players who were injured, and still played well enough that this series was serious. The final score was harsh for Colorado, but Tortorella wasn’t going to act like Bednar forgot how to coach just because Vegas played better for four games.
That’s why those quotes made an impact.
They seemed to show respect.
They seemed like a coach standing up for another coach.
And they felt deserved.
Cale Makar already said after the loss that Mackenzie Blackwood didn’t get enough support from his team. Tortorella’s remarks were along the same lines. He wasn’t blaming just one person for the team’s failure.
He was pointing out that the game is tougher than that.
Vegas won the series without losing a game.
Tortorella went through the handshake line.
Then he also gave Bednar something else.
Support.
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