NHL All-Star Game 2012: John Tortorella Named an Assistant Coach for All-Stars

John Tortorella has been an NHL head coach for the past 11 years. Today he made personal history in the league. For the first time ever, John Tortorella, the winningest American-born coach in NHL history, was named an all-star.

The coach of the team in each conference with the best points percentage through games played on January 9th is selected as a coach for the all-star game. Claude Julien of the Boston Bruins already clinched a spot as the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup last year.

Tortorella will be one of the coaches in the game at the end of the month. Jim Cerny of Blueshirts United caught up with the Rangers bench boss to ask him about the crowning achievement. Tortorella exclaimed:

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It's not me. It's not like I did it. It's the group of guys. I represent the organization, and I think it's an honor for the organization. It's a reflection on the organization.

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What is an interesting fact, as Cerny pointed out, Tortorella should have been an all-star the year after Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup but the league was locked out that year. The Rangers and Tortorella really have surprised a lot of people this season.

HBO's 24/7 really gave an insight into how Tortorella interacts with his team and his coaches. He is a calculated veteran who really cares about his player and this team. This nomination only reinforces what Tortorella has done all season long. 

It is interesting to see how Tortorella once again removes any sort of weight associated with this honor. Tortorella has remained consistent with his team all year. He isn't allowing his team to coast or revel in their success. 

Even when the Rangers win he still finds an area that they need to improve on. I think Tortorella is really starting to fit in with New York and has groomed this team for success in the long run. The Rangers may not win the Stanley Cup this year but it is nice to see that the brilliance and efforts of Tortorella are being recognized. All we can hope is that there aren't any controversial calls in the third period of the All-Star game.

Tom Urtz, Jr. is an NHL featured columnist. For NHL news, updates and alerts about players: