Music: {allcanada} Naslund welcomed Tortorella's honesty with Rangers

Sunday, June 23, 2013

{allcanada} Naslund welcomed Tortorella's honesty with Rangers

The Vancouver Sun tracked down former Canucks captain Markus Naslund via phone to get his thoughts on the reportedly pending hiring of John Tortorella as the team's new head coach. Naslund, who is now the GM of his hometown team, Modo, in the Swedish League, played under Tortorella briefly as a member of the New York Rangers before retiring from the NHL.

On Tortorella's style, compared with that of predecessor Alain Vigneault: "He is more intense, both on the bench throughout the games and between periods and stuff," Naslund said of Tortorella. "But in a good way. In my experience, and that's only half a season, I thought he was honest and straightforward. And as a player I appreciate that, even if sometimes it's stuff you might not like to hear. I appreciate people that bring it to you and are up front."

Naslund, who as a former Canuck captain understands the intense media scrutiny the team faces better than most, also said Tortorella will have to commit to having a more positive relationship with reporters in Vancouver.

"I know he's had a couple of run-ins with (New York Post reporter) Larry Brooks," Naslund said. "He has to have a working relationship for it to work and I would think he understands that, too.

"I didn't find any comparison in the media scrutiny in New York compared to Vancouver. There is so much focus on the hockey team in Vancouver. It's something that comes with the territory and you need to be able to handle it if you are the coach. Coming from Tampa to New York was probably a big step media-wise for John. Now it's another step."