Johansen admits Tortorella told him he wasn't in shape

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Ryan Johansen confirmed Friday that head coach John Tortorella called his fitness into question in their first intermission as co-workers.

"That was something that was said in the room," Johansen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch.

"That's something that shouldn't leave the room. You always hear (about) those codes from teams and players around the league: What's said in the room is said in there, and that's between us. Whatever me and coach talk about is between me and him."

Tortorella told Johansen that he was out of shape, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported Friday, during the coach's debut with Columbus - a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild last Thursday.

Johansen said he had no idea how Tortorella's comment was leaked, and reiterated that he is healthy after missing a week with an undisclosed illness.

"We figured it all out, that's why I'm back 100 percent today," Johansen said. "I said earlier ... the way the team and the trainers have handled it, they've been great. The support they've shown for me, making sure I take care of myself before hockey.

"It's a really satisfying feeling to see how they had my back. They were worried about me. I'm just happy that we figured it out, got it taken care of, and now I'm ready to go."

- With h/t to Pro Hockey Talk