Don Cherry comments on John Tortorella's altercation with Cam York playing a role in his firing as Flyers HC

Hockey legend Don Cherry weighed in on John Tortorella's dismissal as Philadelphia Flyers coach, suggesting an altercation with defenseman Cam York may have contributed to his firing.

Tortorella was let go on Thursday after a heated exchange with York following a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, where York was benched for the final 50 minutes.

The incident reportedly escalated, with both parties crossing boundaries. York was subsequently scratched against the Montreal Canadiens on the same day of Torts' firing but eventually dressed due to the team's lack of healthy players.

On his Grapevine podcast along with his son and host Tim, Cherry commented on what led to Tortorella's firing.

"Well, before we get to the questions — we asked for some questions on X, and we got over 500, so we're not going to get to them all today. But I guess the big news, Dad, was John Tortorella got fired," said Tim.

Don Cherry responded:

"Yeah. And he had an argument with Cam York. I guess that was the final straw. Losing takes a toll. I remember sitting outside a branch, and I said to the branch, 'These guys are trying just as hard.' It had nothing to do with effort. I mean, they were just getting beaten down."

The altercation with York, combined with John Tortorella's post-game admission that he wasn't interested in adapting his coaching style to the team's current struggles, following the 7-2 loss to the Leafs, sealed his fate and led to the Flyers organization's decision to part ways with him.

Subsequently, the Philadelphia Flyers named associate coach Brad Shaw as the interim coach until the management finds a suitable long-term replacement.

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Cam York addresses his relationship with John Tortorella

Cam York spoke highly about his relationship with now-former coach John Tortorella following his firing. The defenseman said that he has no ill will towards him.

"I have nothing bad to say," York told reporters. "He taught me a lot of really good things and was a really good coach for me. I’m going to use a lot of the things that he taught me down the road in my career. He’s a really good coach, and I wish him the best of luck down the road.”

Tortorella served as the coach of the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons, posting a 97-107-33 record but never made it to the postseason. The club is ninth in the wild-card standings, with 69 points after 75 games.

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