New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella will be on the bench for the 2012 NHL All-Star game in Ottawa at Scotia Bank Place on Jan. 29 (via NHL.com). Earlier today, Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien was named one of the All-Star game coaches.
Tortorella clinched his spot by virtue of the Rangers having the best points percentage through games played on Jan. 9 (the halfway point this season). The Flyers can still catch the Blueshirts before that date but will have played one more game than the Rangers which gives New York the edge.
Julien will bring his assistants Doug Houda and Geoff Ward to fill out the bench of one team. Tortorella will be joined by a Western Conference coach. Vancouver's Alain Vigneault, Chicago's Joel Quinneville, San Jose's Todd McLellan, St. Louis' Ken Hitchcock and Detroit's Mike Babcock are all still in the running.
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