TORCHETTI NAMED MINNESOTA WILD INTERIM HEAD COACH
Feb 13, 2016Mike Yeo Relieved as Head Coaching Duties for Minnesota
DES MOINES, IA – Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher on Saturday evening announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has named John Torchetti (pronounced Tore-Chett-ee) Interim Head Coach.
GRAB YOUR WINTER HAT TRICK TODAY - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Torchetti joins Minnesota after serving as the head coach of the Iowa Wild since Nov. 11, 2014. He spent the 2013-14 season as Head Coach of CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he compiled a record of 32-20-0-2. Torchetti guided the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Houston from 2011-13 posting a record of 75-51-0-26 and advanced to the playoffs both seasons.
The native of Boston, Mass., holds 31 years of professional hockey experience as a player, coach and manager. His NHL coaching resume includes stops in Tampa Bay (1999-2001), Florida (2002-04), Los Angeles (2005-06), Chicago (2007-10) and Atlanta (2010-11).
Prior to joining the Thrashers, Torchetti served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. During his time in Chicago, he helped the team improve in wins and points each season as the Blackhawks advanced to the 2009 Western Conference Finals and won the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship.
Torchetti has served as an interim head coach in the NHL twice previously: with the Florida Panthers in 2003-04, where he posted a 10-12-4-1 record and with the Los Angeles Kings in 2005-06, earning a 5-7-0 record in the final 12 games of the season. He has also served as head coach of the San Antonio Iguanas in the Central Hockey League (1994-96), the Fort Wayne Komets in the International Hockey League (1996-98), the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage (2002-03) and the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (2006-07). Torchetti was named Coach of the Year with San Antonio in 1994-95 and with Fort Wayne in 1997-98.
In 1996-97, he spent time as the assistant general manager with the San Antonio Dragons (IHL) and was the general manager of the Detroit Vipers (IHL) in 1998-99. During his tenure in Detroit, the Vipers posted a 50-12-11 record and captured the IHL’s Eastern Conference Championship.
Torchetti’s professional playing career spanned seven seasons in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, the All-American Hockey League, the ECHL and the AHL. In total, Torchetti earned 532 points (258-274=532) in 359 career games with the Carolina Thunderbirds (ACHL, AAHL, ECHL), Virginia Lancers (ACHL), Binghamton Whalers (AHL) and Winston-Salem Thunderbirds (ECHL) from 1984-91.
Iowa begins a three-game road trip on Sunday, Feb. 14. The team will make two stops in Milwaukee and a stop in Chicago before returning home for two games against the Manitoba Moose on Monday, Feb. 22 and Wednesday, Feb. 24. Free parking will be available until all the Iowa Events Center lots are full courtesy of HITS 99.9 FM. Ticket specials, also sponsored by HITS 99.9 FM, will be available to those who bring their own student ID. A second ticket will be rewarded for only $0.99 with the purchase of a defense preferred ticket and a valid student ID. Wednesday’s game will kick-start “Winning Wednesdays” at Wells Fargo Arena. If the Iowa Wild win all fans in attendance will receive a ticket to the next Wednesday home game (Mar. 30) courtesy of NASH ICON. The Wild will also be hosting a “Read Across America Book Drive”. Fans who donate a book will receive a ticket voucher to a future Iowa Wild game. Wednesday will also be “Jim Beam and NASH FM Guys Night”, featuring drink specials of $5 Beam Orchard Twists and $10 Beam Orchard Twists in a mason jar.
Fans may purchase single-game tickets multiple ways, either through the team's website – www.Iowawild.com, the Wells Fargo Arena box office or participating Hy-Vee food stores. Tickets are available online at www.Iowawild.com under the single game tickets tab. The Wells Fargo Arena box office is open Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and closed on Sunday. For Saturday game days, the box office will open at 10 a.m. For Sunday game days the box office will open at 12 p.m. Fans may also purchase tickets by calling 1-844-55-HYVEE or by visiting participating Hy-Vee food stores locations in the greater Des Moines area. Those interested may also visit www.hy-veetix.com. Fans interested in buying full season, or smaller season packages may call the Iowa Wild front office at 515-564-8700.
The Iowa Wild 2015-16 season is presented by Mercy Medical Center, it runs from October through April. Fans may purchase seats to see any of the team’s 38 regular season home games at Wells Fargo Arena. Season tickets to see the Wild play its 2015-16 season at Wells Fargo Arena start at just $9 per game. For more information on tickets, including ticket plans and group seating, please contact the Wild ticket office by calling 515-564-8700 or go to www.iowawild.com.
Follow the Iowa Wild on Twitter @IAWILD or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iawild.
-- IOWA WILD --
· BECOME AN IOWA WILD SEASON TICKET HOLDER
For more info on season ticket packages call 515-564-8700 or email Nate Berglund at nathan.berglund@iowawild.com
· IOWA WILD IN THE COMMUNITY
To schedule a Wild appearance, contact Jenna Bieri, Director of Social Media and Community Relations at 515-564-8714 or email jenna.bieri@iowawild.com.
· IOWA WILD CORPORATE SPONSORSHIPS
To create a customized advertising package for your company contact Brian Mather, VP of Sales, at 515-564-8720 or email at brian.mather@iowawild.com.
###