Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella said his group was « establishing an identity » in a letter sent to team season ticket holders on Monday.
The Flyers currently rank seventh in the NHL’s Metropolitan Division, only ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, with a 21–21–9 record and 51 points in 51 games during the 2022–23 regular season.
Tortorella, a two-time Jack Adams Award winner, joined the Flyers as head coach on June 17, 2022. The Flyers have only qualified for the playoffs four times in the past 10 seasons, winning just one run. during this period.
“At the start of the season we decided to build a foundation for the future and a standard for how we will play, night after night,” Tortorella wrote. “Now that we’re halfway through the season, I want to share with you what I’ve seen from our guys. I was very satisfied with our team’s efforts, dynamism and thirst for competition.
« Perhaps most importantly, and I hope you’ve noticed this too, I love how this team has consistently responded to the challenges we’ve faced, both as individuals and as that group, » Tortorella continued. « Throughout the dressing room, our players show total commitment to getting it right. »
Travis Konecny currently leads the Flyers with 49 points in 45 games this season. The 25-year-old striker has already equaled his career high with 24 goals and is on course to set new records in every attacking category.
Carter Hart, Scott Laughton, Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost, Cam York and Noah Cates also made big strides during Tortorella’s first year as Flyers head coach. But Tortorella made it clear in his letter that there is still a lot of work to do.
« Now, I’m not going to lie to you – and I want to be clear about this – we’re not there yet, » Tortorella wrote. « This year was the first step in building the future of the Flyers and restoring our reputation as one of hockey’s most respected teams. »
The Flyers entered the NHL All-Star Break with a 5–3–2 record in their last 10 games. They will return to action on Monday when they host the New York Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET.
