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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: FLAMES v LIGHTNING

June 7, 2004

John Tortorella

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Game Seven

Q. Final game, what do you say to your players?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Don't have to say anything: They know what they have to do.
Q. Is there a possibility of being too keyed up and how do you avoid that for the players?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, obviously it's a Game 7 and the guys are going to be excited about playing. But as you go through all the playoff games it's been composure. It is about discipline. So the amount of games that we have played up to this point, I think they understand that. So again, it's not about a long talk. It's not -- definitely not about X's and O's; it's really about basically what you said, about making sure we are composed and a discipline is brought into it.
Q. With the possibility of a lockout next season --
JOHN TORTORELLA: Don't talk to me about a lockout.
Q. I am just saying, I am wondering is there a sense of added urgency to this knowing that there may not be hockey after tomorrow?
JOHN TORTORELLA: No. No, that's just a ridiculous question to ask right now.
Q. When Vinny Lecavalier was taken first overall in 1998, they said that he was going to be the face of the franchise.
JOHN TORTORELLA: Michael Jordan of hockey, didn't they say?
Q. They did. You weren't here then but is that what Vin Lecavalier means to you and what does he mean for this game?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, Vinny is one of the core people of this organization and is developing into that. He still is a very young man and going through the process. So you can see the strides that he's made, I think, within the past two or three years and as I said the other day there's more there. So he's still going through the process. It's been fun to watch as he's grown up and as I said yesterday, I think he's going to play a hell of a game tonight.
Q. Is fatigue at all a factor at this stage or is it pure adrenaline, none of that matters?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Fatigue has nothing to do with it. They will be so excited to play. That's just a mindset. Being tired is a mindset. I am sure their team isn't tired and we're not tired.
Q. Game 7 tonight, should it be played like it's overtime right from the start with your killer instinct philosophy that you like to see your players do in overtime?
JOHN TORTORELLA: I think Game 7 should be played like a lot of these guys in uniform tonight, we're playing on the ponds, thinking about when they were playing on the ponds. I think that's the most important thing is to allow yourself to play; not being in a tentative attitude, but, I mean, when you are 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 years old playing on those ponds announcing the game yourself as you are going through it, that's the way they have to have it. I think this is something they have earned, both teams, and it's an opportunity to express yourself and allow yourself to play.
Q. When this team was being put together it seemed like it was a bunch of spare parts, somewhat, not necessarily questionable moves but you kept players who didn't necessarily have opportunities with other franchises. Can you talk about how you have molded them, guys like Dan Boyle and Fedotenko, and Fredrik Modin to turn in a championship-level team?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, I think a lot of credit goes to Jay Feaster in stabilizing things here in where we felt we were an organization as far as player transactions, there were 70, 80 transactions a year as far as up and down from the minors and so be it. For the reason when the organization was really just trying to get started, I think Jay has come in here and has stabilized things by identifying our team what we're trying to build, identifying the core people and keeping the core people together. I think continuity is a very important thing. I think he's kept a coaching staff together here now for a few years and I think the continuity of players and coaches we have built a pretty good foundation. So I think the credit goes to Jay in keeping things together in an age of sports where it's free agents, everybody is leaving everywhere. I think he's done a heck of a job keeping everybody together.
Q. You said before Game 6 when you met with us in Calgary that it's a hockey game and that the guys should go out and just have fun. Anything different or message is the same?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Message is the same. Again, with the hype of Game 7 and what the building is going to be like, there's enough pressure on these athletes. I think you have got to give the athletes a little bit of respect in allowing them to play. Like I say, I don't think too much needs to be talked about because they know what they have to do. I was talking about this yesterday. It seems when you talk about your top players it seems like you are always challenging your top players. It's not so much that. They know it. The top people and the 20 people that are going to dress for each team know what is at stake here. If you get too much rhetoric involved in it you are mixing things up because they know what they have to do. I mean it, the coaches, I think our responsibility is occasionally to get the right people on the ice at the right time. Other than that, we are out. It's up to the players and look forward to a great game, a Game 7 in the Finals.
Q. When you were just talking about what Jay has done here, would you identify that as maybe the defining sort of moment, sort of the turning point for the franchise in terms of you know, going where it was to where it is now?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Oh, I don't know where the organization was going at a point in time. And I don't see that in criticism of anybody else before Jay came in. I just think Jay has managed it. He has, I think when you calm things down and you try to keep it at a flat line type level, and not knee jerk on everything, I think it brings a little bit of calmness to the organization. I think that's been very important.
Having said that, our players have matured. We have got some good people in this organization and some of the leadership we brought in as far as veterans have done a great job for us. But the young core, the Vinnys, the Richies, Martin St. Louis coming in here, Fredrik Modin and players like that, they have matured and there's no success within an organization if your players do not play because they are the ones that decide where this organization goes as far as the winning and losing. Jay put his staple on it then I think the players have taken over from there.
Q. Following up on that building theme, other than the opportunity to be a head coach what drew you to the Tampa franchise?
JOHN TORTORELLA: Well, it was not so much -- I am not sure how you to put it -- I had conversations with Duds when he was general manager here. This is when the changeover happened in New York. I thought it was a great opportunity to get involved in some teaching because it was such a young team. Came in here with Ludsy (Ludsig), was looking forward to just a young core, the teaching part of the game for coaches at least for me is the fun part of it. Made it a pretty easy decision and I was very fortunate that Rick gave me the opportunity and then things happen and you end up I guess progressing a little bit.

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