Finally, the New York Rangers Are Headed in the Right Direction

From assistant coach of the Buffalo Sabres, Phoenix Coyotes, and NY Rangers; to head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning; to winner of the Jack Adams Award in 2004 after winning the Stanley Cup; John Tortorella has seen a lot. And now, the man returns to New York as the new Rangers head coach.

Over the past few weeks, I have written several articles saying that changes need to be made to the Rangers, and I have pointed out that some of the changes need to be made in the coaching realm.

I, for one, am very happy with the new hire and feel Tortorella is a perfect choice.

In his first year with Tampa Bay, the struggling Bolts won only 27 games. The following year, they went to the Playoffs, but were eliminated in the second round.

But in the 2003-04 season, the Lightning took the cup home, and much credit was due to the leadership and great coaching of John Tortorella.

Four out of the six years that he was head coach of Tampa Bay, Tortorella led them to the Playoffs, and took them to the holy grail of hockey within just three years.

He is a coach that will tell it like it is and make his point regardless of what people think. He is a tough coach and demands his players to be even tougher on the ice. And toughness has been a major issue this year for the Rangers.

He will rotate goalies more than usual, which, in my opinion, is a good thing.

It's especially good when you have a backup goalie that can get the job done; look for Hank to be well-rested and more on top of his game then ever before.

This is a coach that can make things happen and does not have a problem letting players know if they are not playing their best. I hope he has a lot of say in changes to this roster, because after this year, some of these Ranger players shouldn’t even be in the NHL.

This is a great move for the Rangers. They now have a coach that will kick their butts if needed, and one that will certainly fight for them till the end. This season is not over yet!

But regardless of this year's outcome, I can assure you that the offseason will be even more exciting than the last, and that next year will be a great year for the New York Rangers and their fans.

Good luck, John Tortorella!