Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers’ Kevin Hayes on Tortorella’s Benching: It Wasn’t Warranted
Kevin Hayes spoke in a measured, quiet tone after Monday’s practice in Voorhees.
For the first time since he was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers, Hayes talked about coach John Tortorella’s decision.
He is still baffled by it.
Hayes leads the Flyers with 29 points in 31 games.
“I don’t think anyone enjoys being scratched,” he said. “I wasn’t happy, but it’s not my decision.”
He later added: “I’m never going to say there’s a benefit to being benched. I don’t think I should have been benched, but it’s not my decision. He’s the coach. I’m a player. He makes the lineup. He wants the best team on the ice to ultimately win, and that’s what he wanted that night.
“You can be benched and everyone writes about being better defensively,” he said. “I try every night to be the best player I can be, and some nights it goes well for me, some nights it doesn’t. I try to be consistent. He felt I was doing worse for the team than better, so he decided not to play me.”
Torts on Hayes benching. #Flyers pic.twitter.com/1gwvO3jmEh
— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) December 19, 2022
PHN: Flyers to Buy Out Kevin Hayes?
Hayes said his conversation with Tortorella was “between us.”
The 30-year-old center-turned-winger was asked what his coach wanted to see from him.
“I’m going to guess, be better defensively,” he said. “I try my hardest every night to do the right things here. Sometimes, things don’t go your way. I think the icing on the cake was the turnover in New Jersey.”
It appears Hayes and Tortorella still aren’t on the same page because the coach said Monday that turnover late in the second period — which led to a two-on-one for New Jersey — had nothing to do with his benching.
“I think everyone on this team knows I wasn’t trying to turn the puck over,” Hayes said. “… I guess I should have gotten the puck deep and — who knows? — maybe I would have been in the lineup the next game.”
GM Chuck Fletcher said Tortorella doesn’t let bad feelings linger.
With Tortorella, “you’re always going to get that chance to get back in there,” he said.
Hayes will be the third-line left winger Tuesday against visiting Columbus. In addition to being a healthy scratch Saturday, Hayes was benched in the third period of two other games this season.
“Stuff happens,” Tortorella said,. “I have to make decisions on people. Standards are held for everyone in the organization — no matter what draft pick (you were), no matter what stature, no matter what you’re thought about. I have to hold the standard for everybody.”
He said that was the “proper way to build a hockey team, and I’m going to stick by it.”
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Fire Torts. He is a rude has-been. And trade Hayes for a 5th round pick, but don’t eat all of that salary.
If you think we could trade Hayes for even a 7th your out of your mind. The literal only way to trade him is to make him a complete player, which is what torts is trying to do. In this cap world nobody has 7.1 mil to give to a 3rd line center. It’s really not Hayes fault that chuck gave him all that money and term, but his lackluster defensive play is. Holding the player responsible-especially one of our *top* veterans-is going to breed buy in and responsibility throughout the entire organization. Torts knows Hayes is not a part of a winning hockey team in Philly, so who cares.
Hayes is an excellent offensive player and it’s what everyone wanted oh all the fans loved him and now it’s split. A little insight to the fans that were not lucky enough to see the Flyers win back to back Cups there is a defense and their job is defense. It’s how the Flyers win their cups! Defense and Goaltending. The offense should worry about putting the puck in the net! Tort is a piece of excrement! Hayes was brought here for offense he’s giving us that! Imagine him, TK, and Frost together? All 3 are very gifted pick handlers and read the opposition defense well. A good 2 line is Laughton, Tippett, and JVR. Mix and match the rest. York had to stay with his speed and puck handling ability, but I think he should be paired with Provy and DeAngelo with Risto. We gotta stop making Hart face 40+ shots a game. I have not seen one forward not put his body in front of a shot to block! But ragging on Hayes for doing the thing he was brought here to do! Tort is definitely a narcissist suffering from Bipolar!
So just to be clear-
Hayes is an “excellent offensive player” and a first line of TK/Hayes/Frost is passable in todays NHL?
Also risto and deangelo paired together would effectively suppress shots?
Dude, while I do wish I was a couple years older and able to see the FLYERS WIN, comparing todays NHL with the teams I grew up watching in the late 80s/90s is comparing apples and oranges. Yet alone comparing those cup teams.
You seem like a team fanboy-unable to realize we do not have a single 1st line player on this roster
Tortorella is not only a terrible coach, he is also a horrible person. He defends himself by saying it;s in the best interest of the team, but it’s really only about Tort’s ego. A pure bully.
And no team identity. Should be not have named a team Captain already? The player that should have that is the same player he likes to bully! You need a Captain because these young players need to look at that person and take their own ice cubes from him. Also, to help rookies and new to the team players get acclimated. Tort is a narcissistic jackass
You never get a true sense of the severity of injuries with this team. You can go from Day to day , week to week and then season to season.
Torts made right decision no one is above the team. About time players are held accountable for their play good coaches have lost theor jo s here due to that reason. Players run the ship back then NOT NOW.
Agreed. I like Hayes. He is a good player and he seems like he is a really good person. That being said, his benching is not just about one bad play in the NJ game. It is a multitude of things we are seeing as fans (defensive struggles) and things going on behind the scenes. Flyers fans have been begging for accountability for years. Now that someone is holding players accountable, all of the sudden the fans don’t want it.
Amen! Bunch of impossible to please fans.
I don’t like Hayes much as a player, but he shows flashes on offense at times and I’m sure he will now start dumping pucks instead of taking guys on 1v1. He will play it safe and have lower production. Playing under a microscope never works out well.
Glad Torts showed you up in the PC tonight. You always try to start drama with the team and are a joke.
It’s a fair question to ask a coach how a player performed since that’s the only opinion that matters.