Philadelphia Flyers' Chuck Fletcher Speaks As John Tortorella Leads

The Philadelphia Flyers have opened the 2022-23 season with a new outlook. The off-season hiring of head coach John Tortorella was significant, in that it signaled that the organization intends to enforce on-ice accountability. 

Torts, as he has long been known, is not expected to work a miracle on ice with what was an injury-riddled roster. Instead, the veteran coach, whose Tampa Bay Lightning team beat a stacked Flyers team in 2003-04 in a memorable seven-game Eastern Conference Semi-Finals series and then won what remains his first and only Stanley Cup, enters the fray as an all-eyes evaluator. 

This two-time Jack Adams' winner (2003-04, and 2016-17 in Columbus) is an instant fan favorite, a Philly fit, and may be the right guy for this rebuilding team. But he may need the full four years of his contract to lead this franchise to being able to make a deep playoff run toward its ever elusive (1973-74, 1974-75) third Cup.

The following transcript was provided courtesy of the Philadelphia Flyers Media Relations Department:

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Chuck Fletcher

Last year we dealt with a lot of adversity on and off the ice. Clearly, we didn’t meet the challenges that we faced, there’s no ducking that. It was an extremely disappointing season, one that we lived with all summer, and certainly one that drove us to make the changes that we did both on and off the ice. 

 

But this year is a clean slate for everybody, John has made that very clear to the players. We know there’s a lot of skeptics, a lot of people that don’t believe we are a good hockey team. I know our players are eager to prove them wrong, we all are.

 

There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we’re excited about camp. In particular, I think this year this is probably the best opportunity since I’ve been here for young players to step up and either earn a bigger role on the National Hockey League team or even to make the team. 

 

We have a big wave of young talent coming into our system this year. Some will play in Lehigh, some will play here, but it’s an exciting opportunity for a lot of young players. Depending on how camp goes, we could have up to 10 players on our roster 25 years old and younger. So clearly, particularly up front, there’s a lot of opportunity for some young players to step up and show what they can do and see if they're a part of the solution going forward. 

 

In terms of injuries, I’ll start off with Sean Couturier. He has not been cleared to play as you all know. This morning he will see a specialist to get a second opinion. Based on that appointment, we will try to come up with a plan of attack, and as we have more information, we will let you know. 

 

Ryan Ellis is out indefinitely. There is no timetable on his return to play. I’ll just say that my assumption is that he will not play this season if he does it will be a bonus. That is how we have prepared this offseason by making the additions we did on the blue line.   

 

Patrick Brown had offseason back surgery, he is continuing to rehab. The timeline is a little murky, I would call it week to week. He is skating but he has not been cleared for contact. 

 

Joel Farabee has been cleared to participate, but non-contact participation. I think we saw him this morning in the skating test, he is making good progress. In terms of when he will be cleared for contact, that will probably depend a little bit on how he feels in the skating portion and the practice portion of camp. I think we’re still looking week to week with Joel. 

 

Bobby Brink is in the building rehabbing, rehabbing is going well, he is nine weeks post-op. Return to play I believe will still be in that December-January timeframe. The next step for him is to progress to on-ice rehab which we hope to have him do in the next week or two. 

 

Ryan Fitzgerald has a lower body injury he suffered while skating in Boston a couple of weeks ago. He is one to two weeks away. 

 

With that, I will take your questions. 

 

How surprised are you with Ryan Ellis? Because last year it seemed like he was improving and there was a decent chance he would play this year… 

There’s been ebbs and flows, I think he made progress earlier in the summer. I would say the last two months there hasn't been any visible signs of progress. It’s been a frustrating injury, nobody is more frustrated than Ryan, nobody wants to play more than Ryan, but we’re dealing with reality now. He’s not skating, so clearly, he is a long way from playing. 

 

So, he’ll go on long term? 

Potentially, that’s certainly an option for us. 

 

When did Joel Farabee return to being able to skate? 

Joel’s been skating with the group for over a month now, he just has not had some contact yet. He had a little inadvertent contact in a couple scrimmages when the players were conducting their own practices, but he feels great. I think we want to be careful here, let the injury heal. 

 

We also want to make sure Joel can do the off-ice training he needs to get stronger so he cannot just survive but play well this season. We’re going to do what’s in the best interest of Joel, but I think it’s very encouraging. You saw he skated as hard as everybody, so the good thing is he’s been handling the puck skating. His timing will be great, so now it’s just a question of getting him back into contact and making sure he’s strong enough. 

 

Regarding Ryan, when things broke up last season, you said a surgical option wasn’t something that was going to be considered. Has that changed, is there going to be a surgical option to fix whatever his issue is? 

I know we have been vague with describing the injury. I think we call it multifaceted, which it is, there's a psoas component, there’s a hip component, there’s an abductor component, so I’m not sure if you go in and repair one part that it’s going to fix everything. I’ve never heard of an injury like this, it’s very complicated. Torn psoas is a very serious injury for a hockey player, a very rare injury, so we’re doing the best we can, but we will leave it up to the medical experts. 

 

Regarding Sean Couturier, can you speak to the details of the location of the injury and whether this is the same injury happening again? 

I know it’s in the same area as the last injury. He has been following the medical guidance of the doctors and our medical staff. Over the course of the summer he was improving, but from time to time he had some nerve irritation in his glutes He was told it was a normal part of the process, continued to train, and at some point, over the last week things deteriorated. It got to the point that he was not sleeping as well and was experiencing some pain. What triggered that I don’t know, there’s a whole host of components that impact your back. We’ll try to get to the bottom of it and we’ll do what’s best for Sean. 

 

He’s going for a second opinion, if it comes back in a negative way is this potentially a season ending issue? Is this something that could threaten his career? 

I think we’re a long way from knowing that. He feels much better than he did last year, he can walk around, he can sit comfortably,  he feels he can even go out and skate right now. To suggest its career ending or season ending is a long way away. We’ll leave it up to the specialists, see what his opinion is, and then we’ll get together and get a plan.        

 

Is Ellis’s injury threatening his career?     

Certainly, that’s a possibility.

 

How is Ellis holding up mentally? 

It is extremely frustrating for him; I think he thought he would be a Predator forever. He got over the initial shock of being traded, he came here, he dove right and was a great teammate, he took Ivan Provorov under his wing - they were inseparable trying to build that chemistry. He was so excited to start the season, when he played, he played well. Nobody wants to play more than Ryan Ellis. I know people in this market haven’t had a great chance to see him, but he is a high-end competitor, a very good player. It has been very difficult on Ryan as a human trying to get healthy and trying to be a part of what we are building here. But we’ll hope for the best, and things can turn quickly as we have seen for the good and for the bad, but we’ll keep working. 

 

Have you entered contract negotiations with Travis Sanheim?  

We have, we’ve had conversations with his agent. Our goal is to resign Travis, he’s a big part of our team. He is probably the one and only player that played to their capabilities last year. I think he continues to improve. We continue to work to find a resolution, but if we don’t, I don’t think it will be a distraction. Everything has been professional and amicable, and we will continue to work away. 

 

What was the back injury Couturier was dealing with and what kind of surgery did he have? 

He did have back surgery, that’s the best I can characterize. 

 

Do you see any moves coming down the middle or do you feel someone within can step-up? 

This is a really important training camp. We brought John in for a reason, not just to guide a change in culture and change standards and crack the whip but John has a proven track record of helping players reach their potential, of helping young players get better. I think we are excited to let John and his staff get to work and to see where some of these young players are, let's see where the health of our players is, and from there we can make decisions. It's a critical camp for a lot of players and again there is an unprecedented opportunity for some young players to take on bigger roles now that Giroux isn't here. Not every player is going to make our club, but all these kids are important parts of our future.

Do you think someone can change to center because… (inaudible)?

Scott Laughton can play center; he can play wing. Lycksell played some center before in his past, but I think we’re going to start him on the wing here that’s the position he’s played most at. We do have some depth at center still and again we’ll see what the situation is with respect to Couturier and Brown and see how some of these players do and we’ll make decisions from there.

 

Have you been able to determine whether Hart is a subject of the Hockey Canada investigation and is there a concern regarding that on your part? 

This is a really serious matter; I think we all understand that. The NHL is conducting an investigation. They've been pretty adamant that at this point we should refrain from making comments - we should direct all questions to them. The question is a serious matter but at this point I’ll refrain from speaking until the NHL releases their investigation. 

 

Have you been told how long the investigation is going? 

I haven’t. 

 

Is Hart cooperating with the investigation? 

From what I’ve been told every player has cooperated. 

 

(Inaudible) Can you talk about that change and also is Harry back with the team or not, and if not why?

We feel that in order to be successful on the ice we have to have the right support crew off the ice, and we spent the bulk of summer really analyzing our staff but also conducting exhaustive job searches for people to come in whether is John Tortorella and his coaching staff or Ian McEwen and the athlete performance and wellness staff. We’re very excited with where we landed with not only John but Ian, and Ian’s only been on the ground a couple weeks. He’s been focused on rounding out the staff and we announced the hiring of Tommy Alva to be our head athletic trainer, Jeff Taylor to come into a newly created PT type of position, a rehab position, we’re looking into soft tissue experts to come in and work with our players so Ian’s been hard at work with Barry Hanrahan trying to build out the staff. It’s really important that we look at different ways of taking care of our players. It’s not enough just to help out players when they’re hurt, I think the whole emphasis here is in trying to build out a program where we can prevent injuries from happening by using data, best practices, and having experts in the field. It’s going to be a process, it’s going to take some time, but we brought some good people in, and we’re excited with where we’re going to take the program.

 

Is Harry back or not?

Harry’s not back, no. We’ve made some changes to our equipment staff. 

 

 Who is the new equipment manager? 

John Peters. 

 

Are you comfortable with the prospect of having competition between Felix and Troy? Is that something you’ll evaluate at the end of camp? Might it come to a point where you bring in a goalie from the outside? 

Yeah you know it’s a great question, Bill. We have spoke about this a lot the last two or three summers when we’ve been looking at backup goaltenders and who would have come in to work with Carter and you know it seems to be the same names every summer. The same types of goalies that are free agents. We just really feel that we need to start developing more talent internally. The goal going in was to have Ivan Fedotov, with Felix Sandstrom, and a goalie like Troy Grosenick and hopefully Samuel Ersson depending on he came back from injury last season. Let them compete. Let’s what we have. Let’s give them opportunities for these young goalies, to not only provide depth in the NHL, but hopefully take a step and reach their potential instead of bringing in sort of career backup goaltenders. I’m not sure if that is the proper term but obviously a little bit of a curveball with Fedetov. But Sandstrom, I thought played very well down the stretch. He played well here. Grosenick has had a long career with remarkably consistent numbers in the American Hockey League. Actually he has phenomenal numbers in the NHL and has never really been given that opportunity. So we feel these guys can compete. Samuel Ersson I thought would need maybe a half a season or maybe a season in the American League and maybe that’ll prove to be true. But he is coming off a successful rookie camp. Small sample size, I get it. But the fact that he’s healthy and was able to compete at that level at rookie camp, I think bodes well for the future. So look we will have to see, but at some point we will have to give some young players a chance to grab a job if they can earn it. And believe me, with Torts they have to earn it. But if you don’t give them a chance, you never know.

 

Regarding Fedetov, do you have any more clarity on that situation?

No. Just he has to fulfill a commitment back in Russia. It’s obviously a sensitive situation but there is a commitment he has to fill and really there’s not much influence we can have in this situation.

 

What is your expectation after he fulfills his year in Russia?

Look it’s a sensitive situation. I think I will just leave it at that he will have to fulfill his commitment in Russia. Obviously he has a contract with us and we’ll just let things play out.

 

Chuck, you mentioned about the possibility of up to 10 players 25 or younger making this team. With the issues with Couturier obviously it’s still unclear how long he’s going to be out but does that change the possibility of Couturier missing a set of time, missing the season, does that change the organizational approach to the season and pivot a little more towards playing young players and using this more as a future focused year?

Well part of our, I think I mentioned to you guys at the draft and free agency, part of our main focus this year is to provide opportunity for young players to get better. And we’ve added a lot of young talent over the last couple of years. And I think it’s really important to find out what we have. Last year, as I mentioned, a lot of adversity. Again, we didn’t handle the challenges well but it was also a difficult year to fairly evaluate some younger players. Particularly at the end when we traded some players and we had some players out. You’re throwing rosters together every night and on of John Tortorella’s strengths, and I don’t think he gets nearly enough credit for this, he’s got a proven track record of making players better. Pushing players to be better. Developing young players and that’s a critical part of what we want to do. We want to find out what we have. Even take a player like Travis Konecny. He is a 50 point guys or a 70 point guy. Let’s push him here a little bit let’s see what we have. Ivan Provorov, Sanheim I think took a step last year, but Ivan Provorov is a good hockey player. Let’s give him a chance to get better. Never mind the Yorks and the Attards and the Zamulas on the blue line. Some of these are young players and there’s going to be ups and down but we have to demand more out of some of these players. They’re not just our future anymore. Some of these kids are our present. So, it’s always been a critical part of what we wanted to do. If Sean is out for an extended period of time that clearly makes things a little more difficult because he’s arguably our best player. Our number one centerman. But with that there’s opportunity for other players to step up. There’s opportunity for Morgan Frost to step forward. There’s opportunity for Scott Laughton play at center. There’s opportunity maybe for a Tanner Laczynski to take a step. He’s 25 years old. We need to find out about Tanner Laczynski. He’s not a kid anymore but yet he’s missed a lot of time. Looks great so far from the little bit I’ve seen. But to me, that’s the main storyline of this camp. Let’s see what we have. Let’s see how good these kids are.

 

In regard to some of these younger players, obviously camp performance is the first barometer, but if things are close do waiver considerations factor in at all?

They do because you want to make sure you have enough depth. So that will be something that we sit with the coaching staff about. John has been pretty adamant that he doesn’t care what the name on the back of your jersey is. You’ll hear more from him today but whoever earns it will earn it but there’s obviously some practical considerations of time that we will have to look into. But there’s also health issues. How healthy are we? Sometimes you think you have decisions to make and they are made for you by virtue of things you can’t control. But look we’re, I guess I’ll just say in closing, we understand there’s a lot of questions about our team. We understand there are skeptics. But we are excited. We are excited to go out and prove people wrong. The energy around this building is the best I’ve seen. There is a little bit of fear. But just a lot of genuine excitement from the players about getting back out there. Let’s get some stability here. Let’s function as a team. Let’s rebuild some things we need to rebuild. So we are excited. 

Gut Check Championships – Electric 15-Card Event - July 23, 2022

Gut Check Promotions presented another electric event at the PAL Center in Hockessin, Delaware, on July 23, 2022. The strong card featured fifteen bouts, including two championship events.

A solid, energized crowd witnessed Jhalani Battle-Williams (23-9) win the 145-pound Gut Check Full Rule Muay Thai Title. He defeated Serpico Arriaga in a five-round majority decision.

In the co-main event - Jordan Wilson (14-1) defeated reigning 135-pound Gut Check Glory Title holder, Stephen 'Luke' Marshall, in a five-round unanimous decision.

Results of the thirteen undercard bouts were as follows:

Glory rules -

Brandon Gibbs defeated Fahad Zafar. First-round TKO at two minutes.

Sean Suvie defeated Joseph Huggins. Unanimous decision.

Danny Mahoney defeated Victor Vega Gomez. Unanimous decision. 

Scott Chieu defeated Sergio Melendez. Unanimous decision.

Isaac Pantano defeated Efrain Garcia. Unanimous decision.

Kevin Lovett defeated Dave Lucas. Unanimous decision. 

Muay Thai rules -

Nathan Maul defeated Tony Bermudez. Second-round TKO at 1:39.

Henry Smythe defeated Adam Chatrer. Unanimous decision. 

Kaden Toler defeated Jared Clayton. Unanimous decision.

Jared Dobkin defeated Kevin Nunez. Unanimous decision.

Dana Manzi defeated Lauren Rawle. Majority decision.

Patrick Brennan defeated Domenico Palagruto. Second-round TKO at 1:14.

Jake Strickler defeated Colin Hartey. Unanimous decision. 

Anyone who watched the thirty participants could see they shared common bonds of intensity, determination, and respect. The growing popularity of combat sports is not surprising to those who have been following their ascendancy in popular culture.

Interviews were conducted prior to the bouts:

Lauren Rawle

Insight – Tell us about your background.

LR - “I have been training for almost a year and a half.”

"Day 1, just learning how to walk. Have power and not just muscle it.”

Insight - What is a typical day of training like?

LR - “I train in the morning. I usually run for about four miles. Then, I'll train for an hour at the gym. Some days after that, I'll spar, or I'll stay and do more cardio. I try to get that all done in the morning, before work.”

Insight – How many fights have you had to date (prior to the one on July 23, 2022)?

LR - “Today is my fourth one.” (She entered the bout with Manzi with a 2-1 record.)

Insight – Where would you like to be a year from now, as compared to today?

LR - “I would like to keep fighting, as much as possible. It is kind of hard to get girls my size, but I am trying. But eventually, if I can become pro that would be really awesome. So, I'm just trying to get as much experience as I can.”

-----

Jake Strickler

Insight – Tell us about your background.

JS “Growing up, throughout high school, I was a three-sport (athlete), baseball, basketball, football. I didn't do any martial arts. I would box on my own, with the heavy bag. I loved the sport. I got to Penn State and was a freshman and I needed that next thing, and I got addicted to other martial arts. I did jujitsu. I did every single thing. I went to class and needed something else. Then, the pandemic hit. My senior year, I moved back home. That's when I linked up with Jordan Jones of Jorakay Muay Thai in Levittown, PA, my hometown, literally two minutes away from my house where I grew up. And I've been there from almost two years now. Over those two years he's (Jones) has taken my striking to a place where I just want to keep getting better at it. That is my passion, to be an elite striker. The best that I can be.

Insight – How did you know that Jones was the right trainer for you?

JS - He talked to me like a brother, and I could rely that he would be there every day. Literally, almost every single day for the last two years between 10:30 AM and 1 PM. We train hard. That's why I'm addicted to it; the constant pursuit of your potential and that is where I can get it.

Insight – What have you learned during the last two years?

JS “I know that on the other side of hard work is always what you want.”

Insight – Do you feel the determination is part of who you are and also the training you received?

JS - “At my core, I always need to think that I am the hardest worker in the room. If I don't think that, then I feel like I'm failing myself and I'm failing the people around me that spent time investing in me.

"He (Jones) has spent so much time investing in me.

"I like it is my duty to him (Jones) to the people I love, I care about, to make sure they know I'm not wasting my time doing this. I take that as a personal statement.”

Insight – What would you like to do the next sixth months to a year?

JS - Growing up, I had plans to be in the military or police or to be a lawyer. At every turn my life always brought me back to the gym. Everything good in my life came out of the hard work I put in at the gym. I'm a personal trainer, that is my job. I want to own my own gym and be an elite level striker.”

-----

'Luke' Marshall

Insight – How did you get involved in Muay Thai?

LM – “I've always been athletic. My dad was into sports. I've been skateboarding my whole life. I've watched a lot of Anime and I've seen all the fighting. So, I decided to pick up Muay Thai. I didn't seek out Muay Thai, it was just a gym close to my house. So, I started going and training.”

Insight – What is a typical day of training?

LM – “During fight camp, the first thing I do is run three or five miles, depending on the day and what I've done that week. Then, skip rope for twenty minutes, shadow box, hit pads for various amounts of time, and then spar and clinch. That will cover about three to four hours, depending upon how long each thing takes.”

Insight – What role has your trainer played in your development?

LM – “I really see the effect that Isaac Glendening had on me. He really started to pick out my strengths and try and enhance them, focus on my weaknesses and really try and improve upon them.

"He knows my style. He knows what I'm good at, what I'm bad at. He can focus our lesson and our training on those things.

"He does quite a lot behind the scenes, like researching opponents.

"He's definitely had a huge impact on my development, streamlining my development by coaching me very intelligently.”

Insight – What are you looking to accomplish in tonight's fight?

LM – “I'm looking to improve upon my last fight. I would like to know that I've done my best and be satisfied to go home.

"That does not have to mean that I won but that I've showed my best because some of these guys are really good. I don't expect to be beating every single person that I come by, but I want to at least try my hardest against every single person I come by.”

Insight – In terms of tonight being your first title defense – Is is harder to get to where you are or stay where you are at?

LM – “Probably, stay where you are at. You don't really have a choice. The target is on your back. Everybody is lined up to fight you.”

Insight – What is the future for you?

LM - “I'm in no rush. Honestly, I'm twenty-one. I've only been fighting for a year. I've been training for three years.

"Eventually, I would like to turn pro. But it is not something that I want to rush especially with how dangerous this sport is.

"If there is an opportunity to face someone who is really good and it is probably a risky fight for some big title or I could fight two more people in between there, I'm going to play the long game. Be smarter about it. Try not to just go in and kill myself.

"I would rather do this for a long time and not turn pro then go pro in two years and be injured. I do this because I like it. I don't do it because I want money, or I want the status. It's just for the love of it.”

-----

Jhalani Battle-Williams

Insight – Tell us about your background.

JBW – “I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. My mom's side of the family comes from Nigeria. My dad's side of the family comes from the Dominican Republic.”

Insight – How did you first get involved in Muay Thai?

JBW - “My mom put me in it when I was five years old. I had just lost my father. So, my mom wanted me to have some direction in my life.”

Insight – Describe a type day of training.

JBW – “I train twice a day. I get up in the morning. I run about two miles, depending on if I have a fight coming up, I'll run more. I'll come back and do shadow boxing, pad work, sparring, I go home, make sure I get some rest, hydrate, get some food in my system. I come back at 7 PM and do the same thing.”

Insight – Was there a certain point where you realized, I have to be better?

JBW – “Definitely. There was a certain point where I realized I had to be better, not only in approaching fights but even in training. It was at the point where even in training, I was too cocky. Nobody wanted to teach me. I was uncoachable.

"So, learning that has definitely shaped me into who I am today as a fighter. And taking a couple of losses has helped me as well.”

Insight – Tell us about your trainer.

JBW – “Rami Ibrihim is very tough, very hard-nosed, in your face, pushing you. He wants to find your breaking point and push you just a little bit past that to see how you react.”

Insight – How key has the mental aspect been to your development?

JBW – “Extremely. You are not going to get far in sports in general, especially a combat sport, if you are not mentally strong. If you are a mentally weak person, you are not going to do well here.

"Life is hard enough but when you get punched in the face it gets a lot harder.”

Insight – JBW intended to turn pro after the fight on July 23, 2022.

Thanks to Greg Pritchett, who is the owner and promoter of Gut Check Promotions, and to Helen Locura who is the matchmaker. Photos courtesy of Gut Check Promotions.

Philadelphia Flyers Add To Forward Depth: First Round NHL Draft Selection - Cutter Gauthier

Per the Philadelphia Flyers Media Relations Department: 

With the overall 5^th pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers select Cutter Gauthier from the US National Development Team Program.

First Round (5th Overall) – Cutter Gauthier, U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP_

Left Wing – 6-2, 189 lbs.

Born on January 19, 2004 in Skellefteå, Sweden

 • Recorded 65 points (34g-31) in 54 games for the USNTDP, his first full season with the team… He ranked second on the team with his 34 goals.

• He helped lead Team USA to a silver medal at this year’s IIHF U-18 World Championships recording nine points (3g-6a) in six games.

• Also played for the U.S. National U-17 team where he posted 20 goals and 37 points in 44 games

• Is committed to playing for the Boston College next season (2022-23).

• Was born in Sweden where his father, Sean Gauthier, was a goalie in the Swedish Elite League.

Philadelphia Flyers LW/C Cutter Gauthier

 

What does it feel like when you heard your name called?

It’s such a surreal moment. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of, growing up hearing my named called one day. I’m so happy that the Philadelphia Flyers are the one to do it. I’m extremely excited for the future and to see what it holds.

 

Cutter, did you have a pretty good inkling that the Flyers were heavily interested in you?

Yeah, I think so. I think I had a really good interview with them over the course of the combine and yesterday. It was nice talking with them and catching up. I thought we had a good bond in those meetings and I definitely thought they were interested in me, for sure.

 

[Inaudible question]

Yeah. It’s awesome. It’s bright orange, so it’s awesome. You definitely stand out and I love that. I’m extremely excited to be a part of this organization and see what the future holds.

 

With the U.S. National Team, you were playing on the wing and now you’ll be playing center. How would you describe the game playing center?

That is something I’ve developed over the past two years. Shooting versatile, where I can play left or right wing and center, if that being the case. I’ve displayed my message to the Philadelphia Flyers that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether that’s on the wing or center. I’m willing to do whatever. I’m excited to be a center or left wing in the future.

 

Can you also talk about the physical side of the game?

That’s something I’ve developed over the past two years with the program. They’ve developed me into such a great player. That’s one of the things I’ve added to my game. I wasn’t really physical growing up. As big body as I am, it creates time and space for my teammates to make future plays. It’s a big help in my game today.

 

It’s a big crowd tonight from the US NTDP. What makes this crowd so special?

It’s super cool. I’ve heard such great things about Philadelphia Flyers. Talking with them, I felt I had such a good connection with them. I’m excited to see the near future, get out to development camp next week and have a great week.

 

Your mother’s from Reading. What does it mean to have such a connection to the state and area?

It’s been awesome. She’s had nothing but the best about the Philadelphia fanbase and all the fans out there. My aunt on my mom’s side of my family lives out there, so it’s pretty cool. They don’t have to move anywhere to watch me play hockey. It’s awesome. I’m super excited for it. It’s great.

 

What’s part of your game we don’t talk about much?

I think my compete. That’s something I’ve developed as well over the past two years. The dog and the bone mentality. You’re not going to go in the corner and beat me out to the net. I’m coming out of the corner with that puck. My compete, for sure.

 

When do you feel you’ll be ready to play pro?

I think one year in the NCAA, then I’ll be ready to play in the National Hockey League. Hopefully, help the Philadelphia Flyers win a Stanley Cup in the near future.

 

What did they say they were most excited about when you talked with them? Where do they want to see you grow?

I’m super excited to have the opportunity to be with them. They did not really display too much of that message. It was kind of a jack of all trades. We didn’t really know what was going on, but I’m super happy to be here. I’m so happy to be picked by the Philadelphia Flyers. We’ll see what happens in the future.

 

Was the draft rankings something you paid attention to? Was it exciting to see your stock go up as the weeks by and did you pay attention to it?

Yes and no. I see a couple things if they pop up on my Instagram. I don’t really go in-depth with all of that stuff. I like to work hard. It shows on the ice all the stuff I do behind the scenes that does not get shown. It’s nice to see all the hard work pay off as I’m rising up the boards.

 

You seem pretty excited right now. Was last night a restless night?

I’ve done everything I can to be where I am today. I’ve put in hard work over the past 18 years to get to where I am. I had great night of sleep last night. There’s nothing else I could’ve done. I was super happy with everything I did.

 

Is Cutter your given name?

Yes. My grandmother from Philly, over in Sweden, was cooking that night and she found it in a Swedish cookbook. I love my name. It’s great.

 

What did your dad mean to you growing up, having played pro hockey and what did he impart on you?

I think the mentality. It doesn’t matter where you are now. It matters what you’re going to do now to get to the next level in the future. He’s played at the highest level in the National Hockey League. I’ve seen what it takes to get there. He’s displayed that message on how hard work and all the little things pays off. I’m just trying to do everything I can to get to the next level.

 

Do you get back much to Sudbury, Ontario?

Ever since the pandemic, I haven’t been able to see my grandparents or any of my dad’s side of my family in 2 -3 years. I usually go up every summer and spend some time with them. I have a couple of family friends here from Sudbury. It’s good to see those people, especially after tonight. I try to get there as much as I can, but it has been tough with COVID.

 

What is it like to know you are a part of the same organization that your dad has a connection to?

It’s awesome. My dad played many years and he’s got many connections. It’s pretty cool to see that the Philadelphia Flyers are one of them. I’m super excited to be a part of this organization and to have a couple of strings attached to the team is pretty cool too.

 

What does it mean that for you and Logan Cooley to get drafted?

We’re good buddies. We have been teammates a lot. Over the past two years, him and I have been on the same line, second half of the season. We have built a pretty good bond over the past half of the season there and it showed on the ice. It’s pretty cool to see him go to the team he wanted. I’m happy to see that for him.

 

Why do you think your game can translate to center full time?

I think developing all the skills as a center or a wing to get to the next level. I think I’m the complete package. I have all the skills to be a center or left wing at the NHL level. I think it’s up to the team to make that decision in the near future.

 

Where’s your confidence come from?

I think just through all the hard work I put in. There’s nothing else I would’ve left one the table. I worked my butt off to get to where I am today and it’s all the little things to get here. I’m super excited for this moment and super confident as well.

 

John Tortorella really wants his forwards to play defense?

I think I’m the complete package as I’ve said earlier. I think the defensive side of the game is a big part of my game as well. Taking control of the defensive zone, whether playing the wing or being there for your defenseman. Helping your defenseman down low. I think it plays a big role in winning hockey. I don’t think you’re going to get to the next level if you’re lazy on defense.

 

Have they told you which position the prefer you at?

They didn’t really tell me, whether it was left wing, center or right wing, so I don’t really know yet. We will see in the near future.

 

[Inaudible question]

I think increasing the type of play to get to get to the next level. It’s the National Hockey League and it’s the fastest league in the world. If I can get used to the pace and play as soon as possible and develop those skills at Boston College, I’m really looking forward to it.

 

Any player you’re looking to meeting the most?

Kevin Hayes, actually. He went to Boston College. It’s pretty cool to see how his path kind of aligned with mine.

 

How exciting to join fellow Boston College alumni players?

It’s awesome. They went to Boston College and that’s where I’m headed. It’s pretty cool to see how Boston College has developed their players to get to the NHL and how well they do with their development and how they treat their players. It’s a testament to their character. I’m excited to be part of that family.

 

Any current NHL players you try to model your game after?

I try to model my game after Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Both big power forwards with lots of skill. Can control the pace of play at any time. I was actually fortunate enough to meet Mark Scheifele where I work out. He’s been a great leader and he’s been nothing but the best to me. It’s been cool to see him in the gym and how hard he works.

 

 

Philadelphia Flyers President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chuck Fletcher

 

What was it about Cutter Gauthier that made you think he had to be a pick at number 5?

I think it’s a combination of things. Obviously, his size, strength, speed. Very athletic. His testing was off the charts. On the ice, he is physical. He scores goals. He has good hands. It’s really hard to find a player that can be a potential power forward in the National Hockey League. He has a lot of those attributes. We’ll see how he develops and he’s going to a good program at Boston College. Not sure if you had a chance to speak with him, but he has lots of energy and certainly lots of juice to him, both on and off the ice.

 

Do you guys see him as a center? I know he is going to play center at Boston College. Are you drafting him assuming he going to be a center in the NHL?

That’s certainly our hope. He can play both positions. We feel he plays well at center. I know Boston College intends to use him that way next year. We want the process to play out, but he was a young man that can play both positions.

 

Did the picks at 1 through 4 impact your decision?

We had him very high on our list. Cleary there were some top players that went before us and some very good players after us too. It’s a relatively flat draft. I think I’ve said that before. There are still some very good players getting drafted right now. We are really happy with Cutter. We like the position versatility. The fact about size, strength and skill, all those attributes. I think he has the chance to be a pretty good player.

 

How does Cutter’s skill set lend itself to the aspirations of the team? Playing harder?

He skates well. Again, he can hit. He works. He’s a big man that can control the puck down low in the offensive zone. He can hold on to the puck. He can hold off defenders with the size and strength. I think he allows you to play a possession type of game. Again, his size and physicality. He’s somebody that can play power play and penalty kill. He’s really used in all situations on the Under-18 team. There’s certainly a lot to work with there.

 

You said the expectation on when the can contribute depends on the players. He said he wants to get here. What are your thoughts on that now that you have you player?

He will be going to Boston College next year. We’ll go from there. There’s no rush for us. Again, he has some physical attributes. Maybe you could put him on the team and see what he can do, but I think he’s best served by climbing another step. Even though the Under-18 team play a lot of college programs, to play a full year of hockey collegiately, while you’re in college, you have to balance studies with hockey and working out. It’s a great opportunity for him to mature on and off the ice and hopefully compete for a World Junior spot next year.

 

Other than size and skill what are the other attributes?

I think he rose on most teams’ list. Two seasons ago, he played well too. I don’t know if I can answer that. Maybe Brent can answer that better. Watching him play, for me, he was a pretty good player all year. Maybe it took us a little bit of time to recognize that. I got to see him play some games at center and on the wing. He played well. He played well throughout the year. I’ll let Brent answer that tomorrow when you ask him that.

 

How important was it to get a guy with a high ceiling?

Yes, absolutely. It was an upside play. I think he’s a good player. Everybody has a backup game, I guess you’d call it. He certainly has upside. The way he shoots the shots the puck; the way he drives with the puck. Again size, strength. He brings so many attributes that every team could use more, including ours. He’s extremely athletic. His test results at the combine were impressive and he still feels he can get stronger. He’s a better judge of that than we are, but he works hard and pretty relentless kid. Pretty impressive the level of maturity he has showing now. It’s exciting seeing what he can do.

 

What elements of his game need to become more polished in order for him to become an effective NHL player?

Usually for young players, it’s just consistency. Again, I think he was pretty consistent for his age group. As you climb the ladder, best players bring it every night or at least have small drop off between game to game, at worst. Consistency will be one thing. Again, it’s just going to be doing it against bigger, faster, and stronger players. He can probably improve everything, but in his age group, he’s pretty top end.

 

You mentioned Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois as models of the game. Does Cutter share similar elements in his game?

Yeah, for sure. Even little parts of Jeff Carter, at times. They’re a little bit different players. Kind of those big centerman that can come through the middle of the ice with the puck. Again, if he ends up playing on the wing, he can hand the puck off the wing and drive the net. He’s just a big power forward. Some differences with Scheifele, but some similarities to Dubois, those types of players. It will be interesting to see where he can get to. His athleticism is off the charts, so it would be interesting to see if there’s even another level of speed, strength, and everything that he can attain at Boston College.

 

Was confidence something that stood out?

Yeah, confident. Energetic. Personable. He showed a lot of compassion for his teammates. He talked about his teammates in a really positive fashion. Confident, but yet I think the team orientation is really strong. He’s coming out of Arizona and climbing the ranks, through Michigan, and into the program. He’s had to move a bit. Make a lot of different clubs. To his credit, he’s found a way to continue to get better. I’m sure that does instill a little confidence in him.

 

What did you see when it came to his least talked about quality, “compete”?

Just strong work ethic. Willing to play physically. When he played on the Under-18 team and played against colleges, he didn’t back down physically. He was still making contact, taking contact. I agree. I think he’s a very competitive player and a very driven player.

 

Are you potentially looking to get a second-round pick?

Certainly, we’ll look at that if there are opportunities. We have a very early third round pick, so I think we’re pretty confident that someone we like and would possibly take in the second round would fall to that spot. I think we’re comfortable with where we’re picking, but you’re always looking for those opportunities.

 

Are you thinking about being involved in the trade market tomorrow?

Well, there’s been a lot of dialogue. I can tell you that. We’ll see. There’s potentially something that could happen tomorrow. I could also see things happening later on in the week, closer to the start of free agency.

 

Are you making an effort to take a shoot first guy early in the draft, like Tyson?

We certainly have been looking for forwards with offensive upsides. Again, a little bit different player, but they both have good size. Cutter’s probably a little better skater than Tyson at the same age, but they are both competitive, high hockey sense players. They can shoot the puck and are willing to work hard. I think we always want skill, but preferably if we can get skill in a little bigger package, that is a good thing too.