There’s nothing quite like the firing of a head coach to pull a talented team out of a brutal slump… if it works.
Columbus, which finished last season 16-2-1 in its final 19 games, fired head coach Todd Richards Wednesday following an 0-7-0 start to the season, TSN’s Darren Dreger
Todd Richards out in CBJ. Torts in.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) October 21, 2015
” target=”_blank”>reports. ESPN confirmed the report.
Todd Richards out in CBJ. Torts in.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) October 21, 2015
Richards, a native of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, coached the Wild from 2009-2011 and was fired and replaced with Mike Yeo after missing the playoffs both seasons. Minnesota finished fourth and third in the Northwest Division under Richards.
Todd Richards is to good of a coach to not surface again. Hope he lands somewhere soon.
— Pat Micheletti (@patmick2626) October 21, 2015
Richards out Torts in! Columbus in town tomorrow night….interesting…..
— Wes Walz (@walz3737) October 21, 2015
With Richards out, the Blue Jackets play the Wild at Xcel Energy Center Thursday night under new bench boss John Tortorella. Tortorella, as Sporting News notes, is known for being intense and a bit callus during postgame press conferences – but he has won a Stanley Cup (2004 with Tampa Bay) and he’s reached the postseason in eight of his 10 seasons as a head coach.
He’s BAAA-AAAACK. John Tortorella reportedly set to replace fired Blue Jackets head coach. https://t.co/kuoltLGeqR pic.twitter.com/HkNE88n194
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 21, 2015
Tortorella is now tasked with fixing a team that is off to a historically bad start. According to CBS Sports, the Blue Jackets are just the sixth team in NHL history to lose its first seven games in regulation, and only the third since 1948. The others:
- 1983-84 Capitals
- 1997-98 Blackhawks.
- 1947-48 Blackhawks
- 1943-44 New York Rangers
- 1938-39 Montreal Canadiens
Columbus has lost every game this season by a minimum of two goals, but Blue Jackets players, to no avail, stood up for Richards after a 4-0 loss to the Islanders Tuesday night.
“He cares a lot about winning. He cares deeply about this organization, the city, the fans, the team, the players … I feel like we’re letting him down, and it’s unfortunate. It’s a really (crappy) feeling,” Brandon Dubinsky said of Richards, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
#CBJ 0-0 in one-goal games this season. Only two of their seven losses have had margins as narrow as two goals. Outscored 34-13 in 7 games.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) October 21, 2015
