January 4, 2012
Tortorella Fined for Post Game Comments
by Staff Report/
New York Rangers coach John Tortorella was fined $30,000 for his comments about the officiating following Monday's Winter Classic.
"There is no acceptable explanation or excuse for commentary challenging the integrity of the League, its officials or its broadcast partners," NHL Senior executive vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in a statement. "People can disagree with calls by officials on the ice, but even in instances of the utmost frustration there is no justification for speaking as inappropriately and irresponsibly as Mr. Tortorella did."
Tortorella had already apologized for the comments, saying he regretted using the word "disgusting" to describe the officiating of Dennis LaRue and Ian Walsh. The complaints stemmed around a pair of calls in the final minute, one in which a Ranger was called for embellishment while being taken down headed towards an empty net; and the other for a questionable penalty shot call.
"I tainted the Winter Classic with my mouth and I shouldn't have," Tortorella said later. "So I apologize to everyone involved."
Tortorella suggested that NBC and the NHL were conspiring against his team -- though he later said those comments were tongue in cheek.
"That was not even in my mind. They were sarcastic comments by me, at the wrong time. It was frustration on my part as far as the referees were concerned and how it was done at the end of the game. I wanna get that straight," he said. "Not for a second, no way, time, shape or form did I think anything like that goes on with our league. Or ever will."
