Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford ruffled the feathers of his rivals in Columbus Sunday when he said Jack Johnson was benched in the playoffs by the Blue Jackets for reasons other than his on-ice performance.

“I don’t think he had a bad year,” Rutherford said Sunday after signing Johnson to a five-year contract. “He was a healthy scratch at the end of the season. I know the reason why. It wasn’t because of how he was playing.”

Rutheford declined to say more on the topic, but his comments clearly got the attention of both Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach John Tortorella.

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Kekalainen said, per the Columbus Dispatch. “If he thinks it was something else, he knows something that me and Tortorella don’t... Totally coach’s decision, and nothing else... What do you think? We didn’t want to win in the playoffs? We put the best defensive lineup possible out every night, and in the playoffs in particular... And he was already a UFA, so what do we care?

"We were trying to put the best possible lineup on the ice. I have no idea what anybody else would be speculating about.”

Tortorella told The Athletic he was angered by both Rutherford and Johnson, who said Sunday he was "looking to be in a winning culture” as a reason for signing in Pittsburgh.

“The thing that pisses me off the most is a general manager in this league questioning and talking about our decision-making,” Tortorella said. “Shut the (expletive) up!

“Jack and I had an open, honest conversation all through this. Jack and I have known one another forever, and I love the guy. There’s no agenda here. You think that’s an easy decision for me, after what Jack Johnson has been in this league and what he is?

“But that can’t get in my way as far as making the right decisions for this hockey club, and that’s all we do, so Rutherford should shut the (expletive) up.”

Johnson requested a trade from the Blue Jackets last season when it became clear he wasn't in the team's long-term plans. The team held on to him through the trade deadline, however, and Johnson finished with a career-low 19:33 of ice time per game.

The Blue Jackets made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and have a 129-87-23 record since Tortorella joined the team seven games into the 2015-16 season. Johnson's "winning culture" struck a nerve with his former head coach, who said Johnson wouldn't return his call on Sunday.

“That’s what pisses me off,” Tortorella said. “He doesn’t have enough balls to call me back, because I’ve tried to get in touch with him. You don’t s*** on an organization that’s done nothing but try to help you. We all know Jack has had some problems along the way here; it’s very well-chronicled. All we’ve done is try to (expletive) help him.

“I love the (expletive) guy. I’ve had him on the Olympic team. I get him on the World Cup team. I love the guy. But for him to do this is ridiculous. He has got to start pointing the finger at himself, not other people.

“If I’m a (former) teammate of his and I play against him next year … my gosh … ”

Johnson told The Athletic he was simply pointing to the Penguins' two Stanley Cup wins over the past three seasons and added he was not trying to slight the Blue Jackets in any way.

The division rivals will meet for the first time next season on November 24 in Pittsburgh.