Behind the bench for a record-setting season for the Columbus Blue Jackets garnered John Tortorella postseason recognition from the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the 2017 NHL Awards ceremony at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Wednesday night.
Tortorella was honored with the Jack Adams Award, named in honor of the longtime Detroit Red Wings coach and general manager.
This year’s honor made Tortorella just the sixth coach to receive the honor twice, and the fourth to do so with multiple teams. Tortorella previously received the Jack Adams Award as the coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning following the 2003-2004 season.
Tortorella led the Blue Jackets to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for just the third time in franchise history after a record-setting regular season for the team and several of its individual players.
The Blue Jackets won 50 games against just 24 losses, earned 108 points, finished third in the Metropolitan Division behind the Presidents’ Trophy winner (Washington Capitals) and eventual Stanley Cup Champion (Pittsburgh Penguins), scored the most goals for (247) and allowed the fewest against (164) during the 2016-2017 season.
Individually, forward Cam Atkinson set the franchise record for the most game-winning goals (nine), and defenseman David Savard finished with the highest plus/minus total in franchise history (plus-33).
Also, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky recorded a franchise-best 41 wins while backstopping the Blue Jackets’ 16-game winning streak from late November to early January, which was one victory off of a tie of the NHL’s all-time record, set by the 1992-1993 Penguins.
Under Tortorella’s direction, the Blue Jackets set or equaled multiple single-game records, including most goals scored (10 vs. Montreal on November 11, 2016).
