The 2022 University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 21 at Jeff's Catering in Brewer. To read about the full 2022 Induction Class, please click here. The 2022 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be live streamed at www.YouTube.com/UMBlackBears/live.

Orono, Maine -- John Tortorella refused to settle for anything less than the best he could achieve.

That's why after his freshman year playing hockey at Division II Salem State, the standout from Concord, Massachusetts, packed his bags and headed for Orono.

The scrappy forward demonstrated relentless aggressiveness under head coach Jack Semler, helping set the tone for the University of Maine's transition to Division I and eventual national prominence.

"He literally just showed up," Semler recalled. "He knew what he wanted and he succeeded."

Tortorella went on to become a two-time ECAC all-star for the Black Bears, then embarked on a four-year stint in pro hockey. He transitioned to the coaching ranks and has achieved sustained success in the National Hockey League.

That combination of playing skills and coaching talents has earned Tortorella a spot in the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame.

Tortorella was the emotional leader for UMaine from 1978-81. He compiled 39 goals and 71 assists in 99 games and showed off the kind of grit by which future Black Bears would be measured.

"He's one of the most intense athletes I've ever seen ever at any level anywhere," said Old Town native and broadcasting legend Gary Thorne, who called UMaine hockey games in the early days. "There was no relax in John. On the ice he was always 100 percent and he constantly pushed himself."

Despite being an average-size skater at 5-foot-8, 175 pounds, Tortorella was a physical leader at UMaine. Semler said a chat with assistant coach Ted Castle helped Tortorella appreciate the need to focus his energies productively.

Tortorella went on to become a menace in front of the opposing net, where he was an effective screener and a disruptive force.

"He was stationed out front and he literally got the crap beat out of him," Semler said. "John had the ability to stay on his skates and take the punishment."

Thorne said Tortorella's relentless pursuit of excellence, with a chip on his shoulder, is a dynamic that permeated the UMaine teams of his era.

"For most teams, there's somebody that I've always called the conscience of the team," Thorne said. "Who do you look to and say, 'is he doing more than I am?' John was that kind of a conscience."

Tortorella carried those traits into coaching career. His first full-time head coaching job in the NHL came with Tampa Bay from 2000-08. In 2004 he became the first former Black Bear to win the Stanley Cup when the Lightning won it all.

He also coached the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets before being hired in June 2022 to lead the Philadelphia Flyers.

Over 20 seasons, Tortorella's teams have compiled a 673-541-37 overall record that includes 12 playoff appearances. His win total ranks 14th all time and spans 1,383 career games.

Tortorella has twice earned the Jack Adams Trophy (2004, 2017) as the NHL Coach of the Year.

Known for his intense demeanor, Tortorella is described by Thorne as an old-school coach.

"He wasn't the most skilled player on the ice, but he'd be damned if anybody was going to outwork him," Thorne said. "He's always maintained that with his players and once the players understand that's who he is and that's how he played, they may not like it all the time, but there's a great respect that comes with how hard he worked as a player and how hard he works as a coach. He's going to give you everything he's got."