Columbus Blue Jackets: Torts Responds to Penguins, Jack Johnson
The rivalry between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins gets turned up in July.
John Tortorella has been known to use some, well… colorful language every now and again. The head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets has certainly toned it down from his days in New York though.
Today was an exception though as he took aim at both Pittsburgh General Manager Jim Rutherford and freshly signed Penguin, Jack Johnson. Both have made comments in the last few days that Torts didn’t care too much for.
Jack had said that he was excited to sign with Pittsburgh and in a not so subtle jab at Columbus said “I’ve been looking to be in a winning culture.”
Rutherford, when speaking to reporters in Pittsburgh, went well beyond implying that the Jackets benched Jack Johnson toward the end of the season for non-hockey reasons. Rutherford said, “He was a healthy scratch at the end of the season. I know the reason why. It wasn’t because of how he was playing.”
Columbus Blue Jackets
The brash statement, which Rutherford refuses to elaborate on, are clearly coming from a place of embarrassment. Embarrassment that he was told by Sidney Crosby to sign his old Shattuck St. Mary’s buddy Jack Johnson to a ludicrous contract. A contract that he will have to defend four years from now as Johnson will be 35-years-old and still have a year left in Pittsburgh.
Torts Goes Off
Coach John Tortorella didn’t appreciate either of the comments. He had a few choice words to say about the situation and did so to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
"“No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family. We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician.”"
Torts continued to rail on both Jack’s comments and Rutherford. You can, and I recommend you do, read all of Tort’s words over at The Athletic.
Coach Tortorella throughout his conversation with Mr. Portzline continued to aim his firery comments at Jim Rutherford. Torts went on to say,
"“The thing that pisses me off the most is a general manager in this league questioning and talking about our decision-making. Shut the fuck up!”"
Not so subtle words from the head coach. Torts of course is known for his candor but had largely toned down his rhetoric since coming to Ohio. This though is classic Torts. Direct, fiery, and deserved.
Jack Johnson has since issued a statement trying to clarify his statement around winning culture and it is somewhat believable that his words cam across incorrectly. But Rutherford’s comments can not be misconstrued. He is taking a blatant shot at a rival organization for no reason other than to try and deflect attention from his terrible management.
Stick tap for Coach Tortorella for not sitting back and taking these comments silently. Torts did the right thing and stood up for not only himself and Jarmo, but the entire organization who were upfront, honest, and beyond accommodating for Jack during his last seven years in Columbus.
Next: The New Nash- Riley Nash
The harsh words are just another chapter in the continuing story that is the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry. Unfortunately for fans, the two teams do not meet in the regular season until Saturday November 24th.