Tortorella to miss Thursday's game, All-Star weekend due to family matter

Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella will not be behind the bench Thursday when his team takes on the Nashville Predators, nor will he head to Los Angeles as part of the NHL's All-Star festivities.

The Blue Jackets announced Thursday that Tortorella has temporarily left the club to deal with a family matter.

"Regrettably, there is a personal matter that requires my immediate attention that will force me to leave the team temporarily and miss the All-Star Game in Los Angeles," Tortorella said in a statement.

Columbus assistants Brad Larsen and Brad Shaw will run the bench in Tortorella's absence. His replacement for the All-Star Game has not yet been announced.

The Blue Jackets have had an impressive run under Tortorella, as the club sits second place in the East with a 32-11-4 record on the season.

Earlier this season, Tortorella became the first American-born coach to win 500 games.