Jack Johnson insists 'winning culture' remark wasn't dig at Blue Jackets

Warning: Story contains coarse language

Nearly two months after irking John Tortorella with a comment he made after signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jack Johnson claims he was simply praising his new club.

"I was paying a compliment to Pittsburgh," the Penguins defenseman, and former Columbus Blue Jackets blue-liner, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Jason Mackey on Wednesday. "They’ve won two Stanley (Cup championships) in the past three years. It is a winning organization. I was expressing how excited I am to be here. Nothing more."

Johnson, who spent six-plus seasons with the Blue Jackets, said the following to reporters after agreeing to a five-year, $16.25-million contract with the Penguins on July 1.

“I've been really wanting to be a part of a winning culture and a place where the expectations to win are as high as they can be. I don't think I could have asked for a better opportunity here.”

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford also drew the ire of Tortorella when he said he knew why Johnson wasn't playing at the end of the season, and that it wasn't due to his play.

Neither utterance sat well with the Columbus head coach, who took both as shots at him and the organization as a whole.

"All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, (president of hockey operations John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players ... has done nothing but try to help Jack," the Blue Jackets bench boss told The Athletic's Aaron Porzline at the time. "And for (Johnson) to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.

"No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family," Tortorella continued. "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."

Johnson posted 11 points in 77 games while ranking fourth on the Blue Jackets in average ice time at 19:33 last season.