Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates is not a big John Tortorella fan.
Responding to Tortorella’s claim that Washington was “whining” about a lack of power plays in the Eastern Conference quarterfinal, Oates told Washington’s 106.7 The Fan radio that the Rangers coach was “out of line” with his comments.
Oh yeah, he also said he could beat up Torts in a fight -- easily.
Here’s more, from CBS Washington:
When asked by LaVar [Arrington} and [Chad] Dukes what he thinks about Torts openly trashing his team, he had a response ready to go.
“Well, I think he’s out of line,” Oates said. “He should be worried about his own series. We didn’t whine once during the series. I never complained. I don’t know, did you guys ever hear me complain about officiating?”
“Not you, no,” Chad Dukes answered.
“No? Ovi did after Game Seven,” he continued. “No one complained before any game. I met with a supervisor before Game Seven. You meet with a supervisor before every single game. We never complained about anything.”
But his response to Lavar’s next question really turns it up a notch.
Lavar: Coach, I just want to know… would you beat him up in a one-on-one situation?
Oates: Yes. Easily.
You can listen to the audio here but, as CBS Washington points out, Oates doesn’t sound like he’s joking or playing around with his answer.
In case you’re curious, Tortorella goes 5-foot-8, 175 pounds. Oates is 5-foot-11, 190 pounds.
