Quantcast

John Tortorella Fined For Comments About ‘Whiny’ Penguins

John Tortorella
New York Rangers coach John Tortorella yells at the Penguins bench after a collision between Rangers’ Derek Stepan and Penguins’ Brooks Orpik during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 5, 2012. The Penguins won 5-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Tortorella
New York Rangers coach John Tortorella yells at the Penguins bench after a collision between Rangers' Derek Stepan and Penguins' Brooks Orpik during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 5, 2012. The Penguins won 5-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

The NHL disciplined rangers coach John Tortorella on Friday for comments he made following the team’s loss to the Penguins Thursday night.

The fiery Rangers coach was fined $20,000 by the league after he fumed about the Penguins and what many Rangers players considered a cheap shot by Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik on Derek Stepan.

“It’s a cheap, dirty hit,” Tortorella said. “I wonder what would happen if we did it to their two whining stars over there,” referring to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

He wasn’t done.

“I wonder what would happen,” the coach added. “So I’m anxious to see what happens with the league with this. Just not respect amongst players. None. It’s sickening.”

The incident that got Tortorella all fired up occurred in the third period, when Orpik went knee-to-knee with the Rangers center, causing him to skate off the ice.

Orpik was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Orpik wasn’t disciplined by the league.

“They whine about this stuff all of the time, and look what happens?” Tortorella said. “It’s ridiculous. But they’ll whine about something else over there, won’t they?”

This isn’t the first time this season that post-game comments got Tortorella into hot water.

The coach was fined $30,000 for criticizing the officials following the NHL’s Winter Classic earlier this year.

-With Associated Press