DeAngelo divulges split from Flyers: 'Coach and I wound up not fitting together'
Tony DeAngelo explained the reason for his dismissal from the Philadelphia Flyers and his rift with head coach John Tortorella.
"Obviously the coach and I wound up not fitting together, I guess that would be the main reason for leaving the team and being a free agent again," DeAngelo told reporters on Tuesday.
DeAngelo signed a one-year deal to rejoin the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday - nine days after he was bought out by the Flyers following a single season in Philadelphia. It marked the second time in three years he was bought out after the New York Rangers parted ways with him in the same fashion in 2021 following his altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev.
However, DeAngelo feels his checkered past is behind him.
"I've been bought out again which is disappointing, but there were different factors that led to that a little bit," he said. "As far as controversy I feel like that's all in the past. I guess there was some controversy this year you could call it, just not being on the same page as the head coach. But there was no personal feelings, nothing personal happened or something big happened to lead to anything, it was kind of just a mutual disagreement on a bunch of things that I won't get into."
Tortorella said in February that the team needed to work with DeAngelo on his defensive game and that Carolina masked his own-zone struggles better than Philadelphia could. DeAngelo was also a healthy scratch for the final five games of the 2022-23 regular season, which the defenseman called "ridiculous."
DeAngelo produced a respectable 42 points in 70 games with the Flyers, but his minus-15.1 defensive goals above replacement was the worst among all NHL skaters.
DeAngelo, who hails from Sewell, New Jersey, said it was a "dream" to play for his hometown Flyers, but he's happy to be back in Carolina, where he enjoyed arguably his best season with 51 points in 64 contests in 2021-22. Partnering up with Jaccob Slavin, one of the better defensive defensemen in the league, helped DeAngelo flourish offensively.
Playing with Slavin again is no guarantee, though. Brent Burns' acquisition effectively replaced DeAngelo last offseason, and he thrived alongside Slavin. If the Hurricanes hang on to Brett Pesce - who the team might reportedly trade if they can't agree to an extension - then DeAngelo is likely set for a third-pairing role alongside either Brady Skjei or newcomer Dmitry Orlov.
DeAngelo credited his strong relationship with head coach Rod Brind'Amour as a reason for rejoining Carolina.
"The way I got along with Rod is more than I got along with any other coach I've played for in my career," DeAngelo said. "But that's the kind of guy he is and I feel like we were a just good match for one another, so just looking forward to getting back in that situation."