There is a commonly used phrase when someone joins something that is already under way and wishes to get up to speed as quickly as possible. It is called “hitting the ground running”.
When John Tortorella was named head coach of the Rangers last Feb. 23, he not only hit the ground running, he was in a full-fledged sprint to make sure the Rangers reached the playoffs.
Rangers head coach John Tortorella made an off-season point of getting to know captain Chris Drury, and the two are on the same page at training camp.
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As he installed a new system of play, rebuilt the collective confidence of the club, and made personnel decisions on the fly, Tortorella was still able to guide the Rangers into the postseason by going 12-7-2 over the final 21 games of the regular season.
However, with so much to do, so much to accomplish, and so much to learn in such a short period of time, Tortorella did not have a real chance to forge relationships with his players. And just as importantly, they did not have the opportunity to really figure him out either.
So when the off-season arrived, Tortorella knew it was important for him to reach out to key players on the roster and begin fostering deeper relationships. He began by contacting team captain Chris Drury on a regular basis this summer.
“I wanted to get to know him, and I wanted him to get to know me, because he is the captain of this hockey club,” Tortorella said of Drury. “I thought it was important. I think he is beginning to feel more comfortable with me. And I feel more comfortable with him.”
Tortorella realized that Drury, as captain of the club, was probably the most vital player with which he had to build a working relationship. If the coach and captain are not in lock-step together, there could be problems during a long season delivering the proper messages to the rest of the team.
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