John Tortorella hilariously answers reporter's phone during press conference

If there's one thing we learned from John Tortorella​'s post-practice press conference on Monday, it's that you should always answer the phone when your mother calls. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets coach isn't known to be the most light-hearted when dealing with the media. But when The Athletic reporter Tom Reed was receiving multiple calls from his mother, Tortorella decided to give everyone a quick lesson in manners by answering the call. 

"Mrs. Reed?" Tortorella said. "Hi, this is John Tortorella. I'm in the middle of a press conference here."

Reed's smartphone was recording the press conference on the podium in front Tortorella when the coach noticed the reporter's mother had made several attempts at reaching her son. 

"That's OK," Tortorella said to Reed's mother. "I'd rather talk to you than your son."

Tortorella explained that he'd be done in about five minutes but he didn't want to leave her hanging. 

"I've seen you called a few times," Tortorella told Reed's mother. "Yeah. It's rude of him not to call you back."

Perhaps the sometimes surly coach was in a particularly good mood after Columbus took steps forward by acquiring several key players ahead of Monday's trade deadline. 

The Blue Jackets were one of the most active teams over the past week — adding forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, acquiring defenceman Adam McQuaid and goalie Keith Kinkaid, and holding on to star winger Artemi Panarin and No. 1 goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. 

"I think Jarmo [Kekalainen] — and that's what I love about him — I think he's got some jam. He wants to win," Tortorella said of the deadline deals made by Columbus' general manager.

"He's letting the team know, and the team has heard it loud and clear, that he's worked hard to upgrade our roster."