Winterhawks GM Johnston interviewed for coach job

You can add the name Mike Johnston to the list of Vancouver Canucks head- coaching candidates.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning acknowledged in a radio interview Friday that Johnston, who has spent the past five seasons as general manager and head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, has interviewed for the job.

“He has done an excellent job the last five years with Portland,” said Benning, who has an off- season home in the Portland area. “They play an uptempo, skilled game and he has a history with the Canucks and the organization, so he understands the market. He is going to be a candidate … He coaches the style we want our team to play. The interview went well.”

Johnston served as an assistant with the Canucks under Marc Crawford, who is also apparently in the mix. Benning and Crawford were photographed together this week having coffee on a restaurant patio.

Benning said he has other coaching candidates to interview next week, presumably Los Angeles Kings’ assistant John Stevens and Willie Desjardins, who has his Texas Stars in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup final.

Benning said he expects to have interviewed between six and eight candidates by the time he settles on a replacement for the fired John Tortorella. Speaking of Tortorella, Benning told Team 1040 he does not want a yeller or a screamer as the team’s new coach and said he doesn’t believe that style works anymore.

“The game has changed and the coaches that have relied on that in the past, I don’t think that works now in today’s game,” he said. “We want to make sure we find a guy that we feel is smart, has good communication with the players, teaches them and gives them the leeway to use their skill and play hard.”

Benning also said he has been in daily contact with the agent for centre Ryan Kesler, who is believed to have requested a trade. Benning would offer no other comment on Kesler.

“We are trying to figure out Ryan’s situation. Benning said. “Other than that, I don’t have anything else to say on that right now.”

Benning has spent considerable time in recent days meeting with his scouting staff and preparing for the upcoming entry draft, where the Canucks have the sixth overall pick.

“I like this draft class. I really like the top six guys and whatever guy we end up with at ( number) six I am going to be happy with. Then at the 36th ( second- round) pick we have identified some guys that we think are going to be there.”

He also did not rule out attempting to move up in the draft.

“I am in constant communication with all the teams that are picking ahead of us. We’ll find out what they want and if it makes sense for us to try and trade up we’ll look into something like that.”