VANCOUVER -- The Vancouver Canucks found their replacement for Alain Vigneault on Tuesday, naming John Tortorella the 17th head coach in the NHL club's history.
Tortorella was let go by the New York Rangers a few weeks ago and Vigneault recently replaced him in the Big Apple.
Tortorella, who has 24 years of coaching experience, won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
"We are proud to introduce John Tortorella as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said in a statement. "John has coached championship teams and is passionate about winning. He has a proven ability to bring the best out of his players and we believe he has all of the qualities to bring our team success."
Tortorella will be formally introduced at a news conference later Tuesday.
The 55-year-old Boston native has reached the playoffs on eight occasions and won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 2004. Known for a fiery and often abrasive style, he was let go four days after the Rangers' season ended with a second-round loss to the Boston Bruins.
Tortorella was an assistant with the Rangers in the 1999-2000 season and took over for John Muckler as head coach for the final four games. Tortorella later spent seven seasons as head coach of the Lightning before taking over as head coach of the Rangers in February 2009.
Vigneault was let go after the Canucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year. He guided the Canucks to a berth in the Stanley Cup final in 2011 and helped the team win two Presidents' trophies and six Northwest Division titles.
Tortorella, the career leader in wins by a U.S.-born coach with 410, served as an assistant coach for the American team that won silver at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He also handled head coaching duties for Team USA at the 2008 world championship and served as an assistant coach at the event in 2005.
