Tortorella to coach US World Cup hockey team

USA Hockey will name John Tortorella coach of Team U.S. for the 2016 World Cup, TSN reported Monday.

The official announcement is scheduled to come at the conclusion of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast.

Tortorella, 57, has a career record of 446-375-78 with 37 ties and guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004.

Tortorella resurfaced immediately with the Vancouver Canucks the following season, but he was sacked for the second time in less than a year after another disaster season, this time in Western Canada.

At first glance, the most likely candidates are two of the NHL’s most well-regarded bench bosses: Nashville’s Peter Laviolette, a reigning Jack Adams nominee, and Columbus’ Todd Richards, who led the U.S.to bronze at this year’s World Championships.

Hes been out of the National Hockey League since May 2014, when he was fired after one season of coaching the Vancouver Canucks.Tortorella previously coached the USA team to a sixth-place finish at the 2008 World Championships.

Tortorella was an assistant coach with the US entry in the Vancouver Olympics that won a silver medal, losing to Canada in overtime in the gold-medal game. This may be a very shrewd hiring by USA Hockey and team management.

Torts will be working closely with Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi, who was GM of the USA team in early August. His teams made the postseason in eight of the last 11 seasons.

He is also considered a strong motivator of his players and a coach with a keen understanding of implementing defensive game plans. Tortorella said he’s worked on controlling himself.

If Tortorella is not hired by another NHL team prior to the September 17, 2016, start of the tournament, consider the World Cup of Hockey his audition for his next job.