After the Devils loss on Sunday, Torts was asked about Matvei Michkov missing a few shifts, and said this:

First things first – Michkov’s ice time has been the biggest topic of this rebuilding season. Fans want to know why Michkov continues to be limited, and a significant portion think that Torts is going to cost him a legitimate shot at the Calder. There’s also a general philosophical debate on whether or not Torts is even handling the kid properly. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, but some people think you learn from your mistakes by staying on the ice and playing through them while the coach has kept a shorter leash for most of the season. Now Torts is saying that “it’s not always the play on the ice” and that “so many things go on,” which ironically just opens the door for more of the media “bullshit” that he derides in that quote.

Which is whatever. He’s the coach. It’s his decision and we all have to live with it. But this is kind of like the scene in Wedding Crashers when the divorce hearing devolves into the woman saying to the man, “you shut your mouth when you’re talking to me!” Vince Vaughn does a double take because the premise makes no sense. If you’re talking to someone, your mouth is already open. What Torts is saying here is that Flyers media doesn’t have all of the information, but he’s also not going to give it to them. So the only acceptable outcome, in his mind, is that they stop asking about Michkov’s ice time entirely, which is comical. It’s Torts’ way of saying “trust me bro.”

What’s also funny is that Torts claims he’s showing respect to the media by telling them there are things he knows that they don’t know. He’s not going to tell them. Neener neener! I know something but I can’t tell you! This is what eight year olds say to each other on the elementary school playground. If the information is damaging and therefore not for public consumption, so be it, but don’t expect reporters to stop asking about Michkov’s ice time, because it’s the topic that fans care about most.