Cam Atkinson explains why the Flyers need John Tortorella.

The Philadelphia Flyers made a bold move this offseason when they hired head coach John Tortorella, a coach that is known to be a demanding taskmaster and one who expects the most out of each and every player on his roster.

The decision from Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher appears to be motivated by a desire to change the culture of the team, a team that has consistently failed to live up to expectations of both management and the fan base in recent years. Tortorella is not without his critics however and has often found himself at the center of controversy, but recently one of Tortorella's long time players shared his thoughts on his former head coach and revealed that he believes Tortorella is exactly that the Flyers need right now.

"One thing that I love about Torts is that he came in and changed the culture right away," said Atkinson on the Flyers Talk podcast. "Set the tone right off the bat, from everyone. Equipment guys, medical guys, management, family, just anything you could think of he did and it really shaped the way the Blue Jackets are to this day."

Giving a head coach credit for completely revamping the way an entire franchise operates is high praise indeed, but Atkinson wasn't done with his praise for Tortorella. He added that there won't be any games with Tortorella, a head coach that he claims will hold every single person in the locker room up to the highest standard.

"There's no BS with Torts, and I think people really like that," said Atkinson. "You talk to a lot of players that have played for him that are currently still playing, and guys that have played for him in the past, 99% of the guys love Torts. Love the way he went about his business, love the way he told it how it is and kept everyone accountable. Practices were hard but there was always a rhyme to the reason."

Finally, Atkinson revealed that he went so far as to put in a good word for Tortorella with general manager Chuck Fletcher during his exit meeting, stating unequivocally that he feels Tortorella is exactly what the team needs right now.

"I think he's gonna do great for our team," said Atkinson. "I know in my exit meeting that was one thing that Chuck and I talked about, I actually brought up Torts and said 'I vouch for Torts,' that's how much I think Torts is gonna help our team."