VOORHEES, N.J. — From the Flyers' bench, John Tortorella was incensed by the call.
A day later, the head coach felt his anger was justified by the feedback he had received.
In the first period of the Flyers' 4-3 overtime loss Thursday night to the Devils, Garnet Hathaway was hit with a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for boarding Luke Hughes.
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Hathaway went in on the forecheck and leveled the Devils' young defenseman, who was tracking down the puck for a potential icing. The whistle never came, not until Hathaway delivered his check.
The Flyers' winger put pressure on the defense and played to the whistle. Hughes was left banged up as a scrum ensued. The talented 20-year-old exited with 3:45 minutes left in the first period but returned at the start of the second and buried the OT game-winner.
After practice Friday, Tortorella was asked if the Flyers sought out any explanation from the league on the penalty. He gave an enlightening and compelling answer on what is arguably a dilemma in today's NHL.
"I'm not going to give you names, the people that have talked to me, talked to the league, said it was a nothing play," Tortorella said. "The point there is, and I'm glad the kid isn't hurt — a really good player, a young man in this league — but that's a problem in our league right now. Our players in this league do not put enough emphasis on making sure you're protecting yourself from hits like that, making sure you absorb hits like that.
NHL
"Because we've kind of tried to turn this league into a no-hit league. And now people aren't ready to be hit. I think it's a lost art in how you take hits. I do think, looking at the clip, I think [Hughes] thinks it's icing. A mistake was made. We've got good refs, we've got good linesmen, but a mistake was made last night. What bothers me is we had to suffer for that mistake — losing a player."
The 32-year-old Hathaway's game is built on physicality and effort. He's a straight-line kind of player.
It appeared like Hughes was unsuspecting Hathaway's hit because he thought icing was going to be called by the linesman.
"I am glad he's not injured," Hathaway said Friday. "It seemed like he was at the fact, but I'm glad he's not. I try to make a clean body check, play the man and separate the man from the puck. That was my job."
It's why Tortorella and the Flyers were furious with Hathaway being booted from the game. They believe he was playing the right way — hard and to the whistle.
"I believe the league [is saying] it's a no-go, there is nothing wrong with the play," Tortorella said. "It shouldn't have even been a penalty. It screams to the athletes in our game: be prepared to be hit. Because big hits are allowed. Nowadays, I'm not so sure because everybody puts their arms up when there's a big hit. It makes me sick what goes on in the league here on big hits. That's part of the game.
"It's a fast game, which is fantastic. The skill in the game is fantastic. I think some of the rule changes we've made have improved the game. But I just don't think we should take the foundation of the National Hockey League out."
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