Erik Johnson shares his unfiltered thoughts on John Tortorella.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella has developed quite the reputation for being a hard-nosed no-nonsense type of coach in the National Hockey League and over the years that has led to some friction. Tortorella has often been known to clash with some of his players and that's why many were interested to hear what former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Erik Johnson had to say on a recent podcast.

Johnson was recently traded by the Flyers to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the National Hockey League's trade deadline so there was a sense that we would get a bit more honesty from Johnson than if he were still on the team, and that was exactly what we got.

Joined by former NHLer Jeremy Roenick and former NHL referee Tim Peel, Johnson laid out his unfiltered thoughts on the often controversial head coach.

"He's honestly awesome," said Johnson.

When it comes to Tortorella's controversial reputation, Johnson simply doesn't see it.

"I think he gets a bad wrap around the league," added Johnson.

Johnson did acknowledge that Tortorella is as advertised, but also pointed out that Tortorella is a man who genuinely cares about his team and their families. 

"He is fiery and intense as everybody knows but he is a great human being that cares about the players," admitted Johnson. "He really cares about your family and how you're doing."

Johnson didn't have a single negative word to say about his former head coach, and in fact continued to shower him with praise for the way he was treated during his time in Philly. 

"I have all the time in the world for Torts," said Johnson. "He was so good to me, so transparent, so up front, just treated me with so much respect."

What makes these comments so surprising though is the fact that Tortorella often found himself making Johnson a health scratch, effectively keeping him out of the lineup and off the ice. Johnson said that, in spite of this, he loved every second of his time under Tortorella.

"I had so much fun waking up and going to the rink in Philly every day," said Johnson. "I was so happy there, every single day, and I was scratched half the year."

You can hear the man describe Tortorella in his own words in the short clip below: