John Tortorella and Brandon Dubinsky have quite the history.
Perhaps no one around the Blue Jackets knows Dubinsky better than Tortorella, who was his head coach in New York when he was a young player finding his way in the NHL. Tortorella describes their relationship as “going through the process,” which sounds like gentler way of saying there was a lot of patience and teaching going on between the two.
Tortorella is willing to be patient now with Dubinsky, who has become a reliable veteran who plays in key situations and is an important part of Tortorella’s team in Columbus — both on and off the ice. Dubinsky is off to a slow start with no goals and two assists in nine games, and Tortorella revealed the reasoning behind the alternate captain “A” being moved from Dubinsky to Jack Johnson before Wednesday’s game.
“We wanted Dubi just to concentrate on just his play,” Tortorella said. “We put an “A” on Jack just to let Dubi try to work himself through and get his game straightened out. I thought it was one of his better games. When we put him, Jenner and Cam together, it absolutely sparked us. I liked what that line did.”
Dubinsky knows what Tortorella is trying to do and understands how he operates. Right now, as Dubinsky is going through an early-season slump, Tortorella is taking the long view with a player he respects.
Dubinsky is operating a ways off from the 40-50 point player he’s been annually since arriving in Columbus five years ago. Tortorella is both challenging Dubinsky and giving him some extra rope, because he knows eventually the player will break out of it and return to form. He certainly showed signs of that on Wednesday night in the Blue Jackets’ 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
It shouldn’t be viewed as a reprimand or punishment, Tortorella said. This is a temporary move while Dubinsky tries to get his game on track, and the alternate captain’s duties are in good hands with Boone Jenner, an incumbent, and Johnson, who is one of the leaders in the team’s dressing room.
Tortorella also said removing the “A” from Dubinsky’s sweater was unrelated to him missing practice on Monday. Dubinsky was present for Tuesday and Wednesday practices at Nationwide Arena.
“He has struggled this year,” Tortorella said of Dubinsky. “With Dubi, we want to take some pressure off him and want him concentrating on his game. Jack is part of our leadership group. Jack showed some really good things when (Jenner) was out. He’s that crusty pro that adds a lot to us.
“It’s a good time for Jack to step into that area and let Dubi concentrate on his game.”
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