Columbus Blue Jackets fire Todd Richards, hire John Tortorella
The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired head coach Todd Richards and hired John Tortorella to fill the position, the team announced Wednesday.
The Blue Jackets (0–7) have yet to win a game since their season began on Oct. 9. On Tuesday, the team lost, 0–4, to the New York Islanders.
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Richards began his first stint as a head coach in 2009 with the Minnesota Wild before joining the Blue Jackets for the 2011–12 season. Under Richards, the Blue Jackets have qualified for the postseason once (in the 2013–14 season), but lost during the first round.
Tortorella coached the New York Rangers and the Tampa Bay Lightning before coaching the Vancouver Canucks during the 2013–14 season. The team went 36–35–11 and did not make the playoffs. Tortorella was let go at the end of the season.
The Blue Jackets are set to take on the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
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- Xandria James