That’s precisely what Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella is hoping for. You read that right. Tortorella wants Jackets players to enjoy themselves in Sin City, which is why he flew them out to the desert early for a game on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“I want them to go out. I think playing guilty is a big part of being a really good player in the National Hockey League,” Tortorella said. “We don’t do that anymore. Heaven forbid! We have agents, and their whole entourage making sure you drink that carrot juice, and all this stuff. ‘You can’t have a beer; that’s going to dehydrate you.’
“What’s great about our game is let them have a little fun. Let us have some personality. We’ve taken a lot of personality out of the game.”
Tortorella said he trusts his team.
“When you start trying to treat your players like 10-year-olds, babysit them and don’t allow them to go out and enjoy some of the cities they’re in, you’re going down the wrong road. We do want to get acclimated with the (time) change, and we want them to enjoy themselves, too. It’s a long year. We ask a lot out of them.”
At the same time, “I hope they’re ready to play when we drop the puck on Tuesday.”