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Polarizing NHL coach John Tortorella joins ESPN as analyst

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 14:  Head Coach John Tortorella of the Columbus Blue Jackets talks to the media after Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 14, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.  (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)
John Tortorella is taking his talents to ESPN. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

John Tortorella has a new job, but instead of standing behind the bench, the outspoken hockey personality will be sitting behind a desk.

That's because Torts is joining ESPN and will serve as a studio analyst for the network, according to the New York Post. 

The former NHL bench boss parted ways with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the end of the 2020-21 season. He spent the last six years as head coach of the team and boasted a winning record in five of those campaigns.

This past year was a rough one for him and the team, as Columbus finished the season with an 18-26-12 record while occupying the basement in the Central Division.

Tortorella signing with ESPN marks a return to broadcasting for the polarizing 63-year-old. In between stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers, he served as an analyst on TSN for part of the 2008-09 season. He was named head coach of the Rangers in February of 2009.

Whether you're a fan of Torts' antics or not, his short-tempered style makes him must-watch entertainment.

It was announced in March that ESPN and the NHL had agreed on a seven-year, multi-platform rights deal that begins at the start of the 2021-22 season.

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