John Torchetti
Encyclopedia
John Torchetti is the head coach of the American Hockey League
's Houston Aeros
and a former professional ice hockey player. Previously, he was the head coach of the San Antonio Rampage
of the American Hockey League
(2002–2003), and the Moncton Wildcats
of the QMJHL
for the 2006–2007 season. He also served as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning
, Atlanta Thrashers
, and Chicago Blackhawks
; also he was the interim head coach for the Florida Panthers
, and Los Angeles Kings
.
as a Post-Graduate at the age of eighteen under the coaching tutelage of the regionally renowned Mike Kozack. Before attending New Prep School, Torchetti played for Jamaica Plain High School in the Boston City League, where he set state scoring records, superseding the ones achieved in the late 1960s by the legendary Robbie Ftorek
of Needham High School
.
Torchetti started his professional career as a member of the Carolina Thunderbirds
, where he would spend seven of his eight seasons. Torchetti led the All-American Hockey League in goals (63), assists (71), and points (134) during the 1987–88 AAHL season. He would have a brief callup with the Binghamton Whalers of the AHL
at the start of the 1988–89 season, but would return to Carolina after ten games.
After eight seasons in the minors, Torchetti retired from hockey after the 1990–91 ECHL season.
of the ECHL
. His first head coaching position was with the San Antonio Iguanas
of the CHL, where he took over when Bill Goldsworthy
became ill. He coached the Iguanas to the finals twice in two years and won the Commissioner's Trophy
for coach of the year in 1995. After spending the first half of the 1996–97 season as an Assistant Coach with the San Antonio Dragons
of the IHL, Torchetti became head coach of the Fort Wayne Komets
. In 1998 he won the Commissioners' Trophy.
Before the 1999–2000 NHL season Torchetti was hired as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning
under Steve Ludzik
. In 2002 Torchetti was hired as head coach of the San Antonio Rampage
. Due to his many coaching stints in the city, "Torch" has kept close ties to San Antonio. After 65 games he was promoted to assistant coach with the parent club, the Florida Panthers
. In 2004 he served 27 games as interim head coach, replacing Rick Dudley
. He finished with a 10–12–4–1 record and before being replaced by, Jacques Martin. During the 2005–06 NHL season, Torchetti was hired by Dave Taylor as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings
. He had a 5–7 record in the teams final 12 games and was not retained by the Kings, instead being replaced by Marc Crawford
.
In 2006 he was hired by the Moncton Wildcats
to replace Ted Nolan
as Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations. He coached the team to a 39–25–0–4 record and a third placed finish in the QMJHL
's Eastern Division. The Wildcats were eliminated in the first round by the Halifax Mooseheads
.
Torchetti was hired as an associate coach for the Chicago Blackhawks
on May 16, 2007.
On July 8, 2010 it was announced that Torchetti has been hired by the Atlanta Thrashers as the associate head coach under Craig Ramsay
.
On July 5, 2011 he was announced as the new head coach of the Houston Aeros
, replacing Mike Yeo
.
ACHL
ECHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
and a former professional ice hockey player. Previously, he was the head coach of the San Antonio Rampage
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(2002–2003), and the Moncton Wildcats
Moncton Wildcats
The Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada....
of the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
for the 2006–2007 season. He also served as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
, and Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
; also he was the interim head coach for the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
, and Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Playing career
Torchetti played prep school hockey for the powerful New Preparatory School of Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
as a Post-Graduate at the age of eighteen under the coaching tutelage of the regionally renowned Mike Kozack. Before attending New Prep School, Torchetti played for Jamaica Plain High School in the Boston City League, where he set state scoring records, superseding the ones achieved in the late 1960s by the legendary Robbie Ftorek
Robbie Ftorek
Robert Brian Ftorek is a former NHL player and coach. He was enshrined as member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991...
of Needham High School
Needham High School
Needham High School is a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts, USA, educating grades 9 through 12. Its principal is Dr. Johnathan Pizzi, who was previously the Assistant Academic Superintendent in the Boston Public Schools System. Its two assistant principals are Mr. Jonathan Bourn and Ms...
.
Torchetti started his professional career as a member of the Carolina Thunderbirds
Carolina Thunderbirds
The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989...
, where he would spend seven of his eight seasons. Torchetti led the All-American Hockey League in goals (63), assists (71), and points (134) during the 1987–88 AAHL season. He would have a brief callup with the Binghamton Whalers of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
at the start of the 1988–89 season, but would return to Carolina after ten games.
After eight seasons in the minors, Torchetti retired from hockey after the 1990–91 ECHL season.
Coaching career
His first coaching assignment came as an assistant coach for the Greensboro MonarchsGreensboro Monarchs
The Greensboro Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team based in Greensboro, NC. The Monarchs joined the East Coast Hockey League as an expansion franchise prior to the start of the 1989-90 season and surrendered the franchise to the league when the Monarchs joined the AHL at the conclusion of...
of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. His first head coaching position was with the San Antonio Iguanas
San Antonio Iguanas
The San Antonio Iguanas were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in San Antonio, Texas. The first expansion team in the Central Hockey League, they were active for seven seasons from 1994–1997 and 1998-2002. Their home arena was the Freeman Coliseum. Bill Goldsworthy initially...
of the CHL, where he took over when Bill Goldsworthy
Bill Goldsworthy
William Alfred Goldsworthy was a professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons between 1964 and 1978, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars.-Playing career:...
became ill. He coached the Iguanas to the finals twice in two years and won the Commissioner's Trophy
Commissioner's Trophy (IHL)
The Commissioner's Trophy was awarded annually by the International Hockey League to the head coach who was judged to have contributed the most to his team's success.-Winners:-External links:* www.hockeydb.com...
for coach of the year in 1995. After spending the first half of the 1996–97 season as an Assistant Coach with the San Antonio Dragons
San Antonio Dragons
The San Antonio Dragons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League for two seasons in 1996–97 and 1997–98. The Dragons were based in San Antonio, Texas and played at the Freeman Coliseum and occasionally the Alamodome....
of the IHL, Torchetti became head coach of the Fort Wayne Komets
Fort Wayne Komets
The Fort Wayne Komets are a minor league ice hockey franchise currently a member of the Central Hockey League in the Northern Conference. The team was previously a member of the International Hockey League before it merged into the CHL in 2010...
. In 1998 he won the Commissioners' Trophy.
Before the 1999–2000 NHL season Torchetti was hired as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
under Steve Ludzik
Steve Ludzik
Stephen Paul Ludzik is a retired former professional ice hockey player and coach who currently works as a television analyst for The Score....
. In 2002 Torchetti was hired as head coach of the San Antonio Rampage
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:...
. Due to his many coaching stints in the city, "Torch" has kept close ties to San Antonio. After 65 games he was promoted to assistant coach with the parent club, the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
. In 2004 he served 27 games as interim head coach, replacing Rick Dudley
Rick Dudley
Richard Clarence Dudley is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Dudley was previously the general manager of several hockey teams. Dudley played in the World Hockey Association and in the National Hockey League. Dudley has also served as a head coach in the National...
. He finished with a 10–12–4–1 record and before being replaced by, Jacques Martin. During the 2005–06 NHL season, Torchetti was hired by Dave Taylor as interim head coach of the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He had a 5–7 record in the teams final 12 games and was not retained by the Kings, instead being replaced by Marc Crawford
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach, most recently employed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche...
.
In 2006 he was hired by the Moncton Wildcats
Moncton Wildcats
The Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada....
to replace Ted Nolan
Ted Nolan
Theodore John Nolan is currently the Head Coach of Latvia men's national ice hockey team...
as Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations. He coached the team to a 39–25–0–4 record and a third placed finish in the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
's Eastern Division. The Wildcats were eliminated in the first round by the Halifax Mooseheads
Halifax Mooseheads
The Halifax Mooseheads are a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio division of the QMJHL for the 1994-1995 season. While the franchise has never won a league championship, they have...
.
Torchetti was hired as an associate coach for the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
on May 16, 2007.
On July 8, 2010 it was announced that Torchetti has been hired by the Atlanta Thrashers as the associate head coach under Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
.
On July 5, 2011 he was announced as the new head coach of the Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
, replacing Mike Yeo
Mike Yeo
Michael Yeo is the current head coach of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins and head coach of the Houston Aeros.-Career:...
.
Awards
AAHL| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| First Team All-Star | 1987–88 |
| Most points | 1987–88 |
| Most goals scored | 1987–88 |
| Most assists | 1987–88 |
| Most Valuable Player | 1987–88 |
ACHL
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Regular Season Champion | 1984–85; 1985–86 |
ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Riley Cup winner | 1988–89 |
Coaching record
| Team | | Year | | Regular season | | Post season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| FLA Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
2003–04 | 27 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 1 | (75) | 4th in Southeast | Missed playoffs |
| LA Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
2005–06 | 12 | 5 | 7 | – | 0 | 89 | 4th in Pacific | Missed playoffs |
| Total | 39 | 15 | 19 | 4 | 1 | ||||