An Important Philadelphia Flyers' Summer Awaits

Danny Briere should have the interim tag removed and become the official General Manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. A President of Hockey Operations should be named before the National Hockey League draft, which takes place on June 28 and 29. 

But what happens at the NHL's draft lottery, on May 8, could be momentous if they are able to move up to the first or second position. But a good player can be had at seven, eight, or nine, which are the other positions they could pick from depending upon how the lottery goes for Monday nights (at 7 PM) from today.

The Flyers finished with the seventh-worst record (31-38-13, 75 points). That was fourteen points better than last season and represents reasonable team progress. Credit to head coach John Tortorella and his staff in that regard. 

Some expiring contracts will create the natural subtraction Tortorella has referenced on many occasions. There will be trades as well. Free agents will also be acquired. 

Philadelphia has a handful of promising young players on the NHL roster and elsewhere in its system, with credit going to the last few regimes. 

Briere and Tortorella appear to be working well together. They both are talking about a handful of seasons being needed to do a proper rebuild of the organization. 

The following list of end-of-season interviews are courtesy of the Flyers Media Relations department: 

LW James van Riemsdyk

 

I know everybody assumes that you probably won’t be here next year, but everybody also assumed you’d be traded. In your mind, have you had talks with the Flyers? Is there any chance that you'll be back here next year, or have they said that they're not interested?

We haven't really had talks about that. I'm obviously, probably like everyone else, looking at the situation and I'm assuming there's a direction they're going to go as far as being a younger team and still a team that's kind of transitioning to be as young as they can. That's just kind of the way I'm assuming that things will go. I haven't had official things one way or the other, but just assuming that's what's going to happen.

 

If that does happen, what is your favorite memory from here?

Wow. A lot of great memories. Definitely some early ones I remember. You could look at the Cup run, that was a pretty special time. We were so close. And then just, especially early on I think just a lot of how I was treated by some of the older players was pretty cool. I remember just being here for some of the summers training before the year and especially right before my rookie year where guys like – I remember Jeff Carter would take me out for dinner all the time and to baseball games and stuff like that. And then guys like Prongs and Danny B were really great with me, and Scotty Hartnell – the list goes on and on. Obviously on the ice that Cup run that we had was great, but off the ice a lot of great memories, especially early on. There's been I feel like lots of great groups of guys that I have been able to play with over my time here. So those definitely stand out, just because when you're younger and you're kind of impressionable, I think it really sets the stage for you for the rest of your career when you're around good people and good players. Looking back, I think that definitely helped set me up on a stage to know what it takes to try to be a productive, successful player.

 

When you came back from the injury in December, Torts puts you on line with Tip and Frosty for about five weeks in there, and both of those guys credited your communication with them and your influence on them as one of the reasons why they took off this season. Where did you see Owen and Morgan grow this season?

I think for both those guys, obviously they've got the pedigree there. They're both first round picks, huge talents. I think they really got a chance, as far as opportunity wise, to play a little bit more and have that opportunity to get a little more leash, where you were you get thrown back out there a little bit more, and I think they just took it and ran with it. They were fun. We had a lot of success playing together as a line, especially during that stretch that you mentioned. It was fun to play with those guys, and to see the growth in their game and things like that. It'll be fun to watch those guys going forward to see what they can do.

 

After the trade deadline, we talked to Torts a few times and he said he felt bad that you didn't get a chance to go to another team and chase down a Cup. Looking back, what were your emotions after the deadline? Were you disappointed that you weren't able to be moved?

I’m obviously extremely proud to be a Flyer and play for the Flyers for as many games as I have and as many years as I have. That being said, that was probably one of the more disappointing things that I've gone through just for a whole host of different reasons. Definitely disappointed that I wasn't able to get that opportunity.

 

After the deadline, Chuck was pretty open about the process and what had happened. Did that hurt, him being as open about being able to trade you? Just in terms of saying that teams didn't have interest and things like that? Usually, GMs aren't that open.

Oh, I don't know if I want to dive too much into the weeds on some of those things. I know there's lots of different ways to look at the situation. I don't think it's necessarily as cut and dry as it was made out to be after the fact. So yeah, I'd rather not get too far down that road.

 

The other day you said you feel like you have quite a few more goals left in you. You're a guy that's always prepared off the ice, on the ice. Do you have an expectation for how many more years you want to play, and a fit for where you want to go next?

I think ultimately for that question, I still love the grind of preparing myself and trying to get better and working at your craft and working at your game, and it's fun to come to the rink and things like that. So, I think again, as long as it's still fun, as long as I can still think I can serve a role and find a good fit on a team, I want to obviously play as long as I can. This is obviously a next stage now for me, going into the summer, going into free agency. For that, you have a little bit of that excitement to see what's potentially out there and how that can all work out. I put a lot of time and thought and effort into preparing myself the best way I can, and I think this is the time when you do that – over the course of a bunch of years – I think this is the time where it starts to pay off. I think I still feel pretty good on the ice and physically and things like that. Obviously, you have the experience and the reps of playing for a long time, so I think that part of your game becomes even more efficient as far as how you play the game and knowing the right places to be and things like that so you don't have to be skating around like a dog off the leash. Definitely excited for what's next.

 

You talked the other day about how much it meant to get that career goal in this organization. You've been around a long time, but just this season alone, how much did it mean to you – just along with the goal and just kind of being a mentor to some of those young players – maybe knowing that this was going to be it for you in Philadelphia?

Certainly, it was a transitionary year for the for the organization. To be a part of that, and obviously, you want to prepare yourself the best way that you can and approach it like you do. Again, I think you have to have that no matter what the situation is – what situation, what things are going on around you – I think you have to have that approach to try to play along. I don't know if I answered your question or not. To play here for as many years as I have, for as many games as I have, I definitely take a lot of pride in that, and I’ll always look back on that fondly.

 

When you came back here in 2018, the team was coming off a 98-point season, there's a lot of hope at that point of taking those next steps. When you look at your second tenure here – obviously there's the COVID thing, there's the bubble, all those strange experiences, but also a lot of exciting times in your own personal life, too – do you look at these as have been positive years for you on the whole?

Coming back here, like you said, I had a lot of pride of being a Flyer the first time, and I think part of the reason why I came back here was ultimately having a bitter – not a bitter taste but wanting to really – I was drafted here and wanted to try to be part of a solution going forward to win and things like that. I came here with the best of intentions and approached it the best way I could as far as trying to be the best player I could to help the team win games. Like you mentioned, looking back, it was lots of different things happened between, if you look at COVID, coaching changes, GM changes, different guys, kind of pillars that have been here coming and going. I added a couple of kids to my family, things like that. So definitely a lot to unpack there, but everything happens for a reason. I just try to enjoy each part and keep things in perspective, whether good or bad. I think just kind of helps you try to have that appreciation for things, especially when things aren't going as well. It definitely makes you appreciate things when they are going a little bit better. I think everything's sort of a learning experience and I had a chance to grow and things like that, so I think that's kind of the way I try to look at it when things maybe go a little sideways sometimes.

 

Four or five days ago, you dropped the gloves and stood up for Scott Laughton. How much did playing with Scott Laughton mean to you?

He's going to be a lifelong friend. One of my closest friends. I still remember before free agency, I was up – didn't know him at all then – but I was up there with Connor brown and a few of their other buddies playing on a softball team with them right before free agency starts, and we were just chatting with him a little bit. Just about what it's like with the Flyers and things like that at that point since I had left. I've gotten really close with him, and it's been a lot of fun playing with him. Like I said, we'll have a lifelong friendship and had a lot of good times over these last five years.

 

C Sean Couturier

 

You've already sort of moved into offseason mode. You talked about that last time that you were with us. How are you feeling, and how excited are you to get back to training, knowing that there's a really good chance you'll be healthy back here next season?

I feel great. I feel like I've pretty much done a full offseason of training already and I’m starting again. I'm already excited for camp, and obviously it’s a big summer of training for me. I’m going to work extremely hard to get back to the pace of the game. Just looking forward to next year.

 

You talked about before the decision was made that one of the reasons why you wanted to play at the end of the year was you just felt like it would get you in the right frame of mind for the summer, just knowing you can play, knowing you can make it back. Knowing how important of an offseason this is for you in terms of preparing, how do you attack the offseason without the benefit of that better frame of mind by playing in a few games?

Probably just going to have to skate a little more. I've trained a lot in the last year and a half, and I feel strong again, I feel back 100%. So, it's just a matter of getting back to the level of a high NHL player. It's going to be on me to just get ready. Obviously, I'm disappointed I couldn't get into a few games and see where I'm at, but only time will tell if it was a benefit or not. We’ll see next year, but I'm for sure going into this offseason motivated and with a lot to prove coming into next year.

 

You mentioned how you want to be a part of this rebuild, you want to go through the tough times and not just come back when things are good again. Does the talk of rebuild really provide extra motivation for you?

I think so. Rebuild or not, for me anyways, in the situation I'm in with the two back surgeries, it's important to come back strong and show that I can be the player I was before the injury. We're using the rebuild word, but I think it's on us players to just make sure we come ready, and we can maybe speed up the process. That's on us to just develop and grow as a team, and we'll see how it goes next year.

 

Is there a feeling on your part - obviously, you missed all of this year, a lot of last year – that if you can come back the player you were, that maybe a rebuild isn't necessary in the way that people are thinking about it, because you can give this team enough of a boost to get it going quicker?

I'm not going to be saving this organization coming back. I think it's important to do this rebuild the right way. What I'm saying is, if you look at kind of like New York a couple years ago, they send out that letter and you think it's a big rebuild – three, four years – and next thing you know they're in the playoffs the following year, two years later, and they've been good since. It’s like I said, things can change quick in the NHL. We've seen it the last two, three years, we were supposed to be one of the top-end teams and we went to the bottom of the standings. It's on us as a team, as players, as an organization to switch it around and get back to where this organization belongs.

 

You had a unique perspective in that you got to watch the games this year. Just from watching all the games, are there areas that you think the team needs to grow in? And what are those areas, do you think?

We've had a lot of young guys, a lot of call-ups, that got chances. I think if you look individually, I think guys have improved and took a step forward. As a team, I think special teams obviously were a huge part of our success, and of our bad sequences. I think when we were winning a couple of games in a row, you could see the power play was clicking, and then once it wasn't, and the PK is struggling, then we're losing a couple in a row. I think special teams is a big part in today's world – whether it's the players or the way we play – it's something that we definitely got to get better.

 

You mentioned you had a unique perspective of being able to watch the younger guys grow. Were there any that really made a jump where you could say, “I want to play with this guy next season” or “I really like what he's going to bring to the team next season”, guys that really kind of stood out to you amongst the younger group that got their chance this year?

Yeah, there's obviously Tippett – I think he's a pretty fun player to watch. I haven't seen such a good shot in a while from a young guy, so he's definitely a guy that I'd love to maybe get the opportunity to play with, eventually. There's a lot of guys that I think improved. Catesy’s one that plays a really mature game. I don't know if we'll play together – he's a center as well – but he's really reliable. He does all the little things right, and he's one of those players that you kind of need to build around successful teams and make runs. He's not flashy or anything, but he does all these little things that make a difference in a winning team.

 

With regards to Cates, you just mentioned him. Do you see a little bit of yourself in him, particularly where you were as a young player?

I do, I think. Like I said, he plays a mature game. He's really reliable defensively, and I think he has some undercover really good offensive skills, also. I think if you give him maybe a little more opportunity offensively – power play and stuff – I think he can maybe produce a little more. He’s just one of those guys that you can throw out in any situation, and he'll find a way to succeed. It’s like I said, he's one of those guys that that you need to make runs and win.

 

You’ve been under a lot of supervision here by the trainers throughout your rehab. What are your plans for this offseason? Will you continue to train here? Will you go home?

I'll probably go home eventually. I'll be here for a couple of weeks. Take a couple of weeks off and then start training again. I'm going into this offseason really kind of being done with the rehab part and just getting back to game shape – feeling strong on and off the ice. There's probably definitely going to be a little more follow up with me, but like I said, I feel great. I'm just going into this offseason really just working on my game and coming back the player I was.

 

When John Tortorella first started, he had talked about the Flyers culture and wanting to make this team harder to play against, more ready to play. From your perspective off the ice, how much do you think this team really went into that resiliency of always kind of being in games and always able to make those comebacks?

I think we've definitely became a harder team to play against, I think. Maybe we're not seeing the results yet, but if you look at the scores and how tight these games are – even playing against some top end teams – we're usually in the game till the end. It's good. We just got to find a way to take it to another level and maybe score a little more goals and be more of a difference.

 

Will you change anything, tweak anything in how you approach your summer training? I know you guys are such creatures of habit. Will you either start skating sooner, skate with groups of guys, just to kind of – because you're in a different place because you haven’t played, you want to get up to game speed – will you sort of tweak how you kind of do your usual training?

I always try to find a way to improve myself each year, every summer, but this year, obviously, like you said, I'll probably be skating a little more earlier in the summer just to get back to par on the ice. I think that's going to be the biggest thing. Off the ice, I've been working a lot over the last year, year and a half. It's really on the ice that I'll have to focus a little more I think, and work on my skill set and execution and stuff like that. I'm just looking forward to it.

 

Before you left, you guys had a longtime Captain in the room, and you wore a letter yourself. I know Torts has said there's not going to be a Captain next year. You weren't really in locker room this year, focusing on yourself. Do you see yourself as trying, when you go back in there, you're going to have to reestablish who you are in the locker room and maybe adjust to a new leadership structure?

I feel I have a lot to prove coming into next year. New coach, a lot of new teammates that I got to know over the last year and a half, but a lot of these guys I haven't even played with. Whatever the captain situation is, or leadership group is, I'm still going to be the player and the guy I am and try to lead by example and do the right things all the time. So, doesn't really change much for me.

 

You made a point to be around the team as much as you could this year. The young guys said that they appreciated the fact that they could kind of pick your brain a bit, but that gets you around the team. Did that help you get through the emotional part of this recovery of having to sit and wait?

I think the last month or so, being more around definitely helped. I was focused on coming back till probably two or three weeks ago. That was a little bummer when I found out, but after that it was just kind of just trying to be a part of the team and being a part of the guys and help out in any way I could if needed. It was just nice being back around in that team environment.

 

Cam Atkinson has basically been in the same boat that you were this year. Did you and Cam kind of help keep each other sane as you were rehabbing and working to get back?

Yeah, a little bit. We were not together on a daily basis, but it's always nice to have someone. At times I was by myself, and at times there was a bunch of us. You don't want to see everyone in there, but it just helps definitely mental side of things being around the guys.

 

C Kevin Hayes

 

When you look at your season just as a whole, how do you sort of classify it?

Ups and downs for sure. It’s weird. Had almost a career year and I was an All-Star, but never really felt like that throughout the whole season to be honest. Like I said, ups and downs. Fun year with these guys. The players on this team work extremely hard, and they love this city, and they love this team. It was a lot of fun.

 

John Tortorella has been honest about the team wanting to get younger, and it's gonna take time here. You're going to be 31 I think next month, and you had pretty much a career year. Has anything come to your mind about maybe like you feel like you would be better suited with a contender, or how much do you want to maybe still stay here?

I think you guys know how much I love it here. I signed here seven years. Absolutely love this organization. I thought Chuck was great. I loved AV. I know they've both caught a lot of flak here from fans and media. Danny B’s great. The city's awesome. It's a sports town. Like you said, I'm turning 31. I picked up the message that was sent months ago. I'm okay with it. It's their decision. I don't want to say I'm suited for a contender, because I think I'm suited for anyone to be honest. We'll see how that unfolds. Their decisions have probably already been made. We don't know them yet. I'm sure I'll find out around the draft.

 

Obviously, with all the uncertainty that kind of surrounds your future here, you talked about how much you've enjoyed getting to be in the city. The fans kind of welcomed you right away. What has the fan base meant to you in this city?

This fan base is one of the best in all sports. I came here not knowing much about Philadelphia as a city. I lived on the East Coast my whole life, but I've never really been to Philly before. It's been amazing. I love where I live. I love the food here. I love the people here. You guys have been pretty good. As a professional athlete, you want to play for a city that kind of lives and dies by sports. The Eagles are in the Super Bowl, the Phillies are in the World Series, the Union whatever their championship is, and the Sixers are good every year. My first couple years here we were great, and it was a lot of fun. Last couple of years have been a little bit of struggle, and it's been just as much fun, so I think a lot of that has to do with the fans in the city and I absolutely loved my time here.

 

You mentioned about the fact that your first year went really well. Obviously, then things have went down. As someone who's lived it, why do you think things kind of fell apart as quickly as they did after that very first year?

It's easy to blame it on injuries. You can argue that this year fell apart. I can argue that it was a good year. I was an All-Star earlier in the year and then I don't think I was given the same opportunity late in the year as I was early on, playing with certain players and stuff, but it is what it is. My second year, I tried to battle through an injury. My only regret here was I wish I figured that out earlier than I really did. Then that trickled into my third year. You can argue either way if I had a good year or a bad year this year.

 

To be clear, I was talking about the team not you.

I thought you were talking about me. Well, you got your answer about me. I don’t know. It's crazy, because it's sad. You see the teams that you have and on paper you're supposed to be really good. You get excited for certain trades that happened in the summer and you're like “that's gonna help our team”, and it never just came together. First year we were great. Like I said, we were on an 11-game win streak before COVID hit. We lost to the Bruins, and then we were the one-seed in the playoffs. Since then, it's just kind of all fell apart, but I don't know what the exact reason is. I'm sure you guys can blame Chuck and AV, but I don't think that's the situation. They don't play the games – we do. I don't think they deserve the bad publicity as much as they get. It’s tough to pinpoint, but nothing really seemed to come together. Key injuries. You look at this year, you got Coots and Cam. You can argue they're two of our best players. Last year, I was out for a lot of the season. I don't know if you're gonna argue that I'm one of the best players. Then you make a big trade and get Ryan Ellis, and he's only played four games. On paper, we're a great team, but that's why you play the games, I guess.

 

You said you could see the message that's being said. It sounds like you don't expect to be here next year. Am I reading that right?

I have no idea. I don't make those decisions.

 

What do you mean by that? You see the message being sent? The team wanting to be younger, is that what you're saying?

Younger guys are playing. I don't know if they want a guy that's making the money that I'm making playing 9-10 minutes a night. I don't make those decisions – they do, and I'm sure they have to make them pretty quickly. Draft is coming up.

 

You said that you picked up on that message months ago. Regardless of whether or not that's the reality, how challenging was it for you to continue to show up and be the best version of yourself?

I just focus on being the best teammate. That's what I've been trying to do. My brother taught me that, and it's something that I wear on my sleeve is making sure that everyone in that room feels comfortable every night and can be in the best headspace that they should be in. It's tough when you're getting 22 minutes a night and leading the team in points, and then you wake up, you get back from All-Star break, and you're playing eight minutes a night and playing with different players. Like I said, it is what it is. They need to go younger here if they want to win. That's how you win in this league, you got to rebuild, and that's what they're in now. As much as I would love to stay and help it out, I have no idea if that's going to be the case.

 

You told us that one of your goals at the end of the day is that you hope that you made every player around you the best player they can be despite you feeling like your own season was up and down. How personally gratifying was it to see some of these young guys really find their stride?

Yeah, it's awesome. It's weird. You go from being a relied upon player to not really relied on, but you get to watch some of your closest buddies who are young. I've been in that situation where I was young, not playing a lot, and then all of a sudden, I'm leading the team in minutes. I was 25 years old, it was a blast. It's awesome to see those guys do that. I got to know a lot of those young guys a lot more this year. Catesy, Tip – they were both pretty new last year. Catesy came at the end of the year, Tip got traded. This year, I kind of focused on trying to help them out as much as I could. I'm not saying my help led to their season at all – I promise you that – but it is awesome to kind of see them really come out of their shell at the end of the season and kind of dominate, which was what they did.

 

In addition to your role and your minutes changing as the season went along, your position changed for a lot of the year – they moved you to the wing. Did that affect you and your game at all?

Not really. If you're playing the right minutes, you don't care where you play. Early, I think I played 10 games at center, I think. I got signed here as a center. Torts doesn’t see it like that, but I don't mind playing the wing honestly. I just enjoy playing. I like being out there with my teammates. That was just another thing I accepted early on in the year.

 

You talked about how this might be – you don’t know where you’ll be going. If that ends up being the case, has there been a moment of being a Philadelphia Flyer that stood out to you that you can look back on?

I think there's a lot of fun moments here honestly. The two I’ll always fall back on is G’s 1000^th game – that was a lot of fun being there for that. I got to play with the Yands, which was amazing. But I think the best moment I think was in the bubble when Oskar came back and at that practice, when AV told everyone he was playing. It was a very cool moment that I'll remember probably for my whole career.

 

Kevin, you talked about the ups and downs of this season, but one thing that was constant for you was your health. How much trust did you regain in your body this season?

Yeah, that was huge. That was early on honestly. Playing last year really, really helped that. I wasn't really nervous at all coming into the season, where I was nervous last year playing those final games. I honestly forgot about my injuries to be honest which is huge. There's some days where you get twisted and turned on the ice that you're not supposed to where your groin comes up, but I think even if I didn't have those surgeries or those injuries, that would be the case. I played 81 games, not 82. I missed one during the season, but that was about as healthy as I could be.

 

RW Cam Atkinson

 

Hello everybody. Good year for me, good year.

 

As you mentioned, obviously I'm sure it was a frustrating year for you. There was a time where you thought you were going to come back and things kind of turned around. Where's kind of your mindset just right now heading into the offseason?

Really good actually. Gonna get cleared hopefully next week. Been skating a lot the last three weeks. Training hard. No setbacks. Just looking forward to obviously getting cleared for contact and having a really, really good summer training. Revving it up even more than I ever have and obviously, itching for next season to start already selfishly.

 

Now that the season's over, can you kind of take us through all what happened, even going back to training camp? We were just told it was an upper body injury and then there was sort of nothing until the announcement that you had your surgery. Can you sort of take us through the process of how kind of things went south for you this year?

Where do I start? Just wasn't feeling well at the start of training camp. Got a couple of different MRIs and a couple misdiagnosis. Finally, I saw someone that told me that I had a herniated disc in my C6-C7 and that I needed to get surgery right away. At the time, I really didn't want to get surgery because it kind of freaked me out a little bit, going through the neck, and I was being told differently. Obviously, went through the process of trying to rehab naturally. I went back to Columbus for a little bit to see some people that I trust and I know, and came back here feeling pretty good. Thought that I could kind of return to play in December when we went on that road trip to Vegas, Colorado, Arizona, and then New Jersey, I believe, and just the process of the return to play. I just I couldn't get through a practice by myself. So anyway, I felt like I needed to do something. I saw a different doctor, Vic Carroll, who was a BC guy, Boston College guy, and one of the Eagles’ surgeons and has worked on a lot of professional athletes, and pretty much reassured me that if I don't take care of my atrophy in my left triceps, that I probably wouldn't be able to play again. So, I got surgery three days later. I woke up and felt unbelievable. All the pain that I couldn't sleep was gone. Just started the process of rehabbing. I don't even know why I'm getting emotional, but just a tough year. Feel good. Feel good, and I know this is a huge summer for me and I want to be part of the solution, and I'm going to push myself more than ever. Seeing these young guys obviously, some guys take a huge step forward, it only fuels me to push myself and push the young guys. I don't think we're as far off as people think especially if guys are healthy and certain things happen this offseason. Not to get too sappy, but that's been my year. But I feel great. I feel the best I’ve felt in a long, long time, and it's nice to be able to shoot the puck the way that I've been able to shoot the puck in the past. Like I said, just looking forward to starting next season.

 

Who are some of the people or things that helped you get through?

Talking to guys that obviously got similar surgery. I talked to Eichel a little bit, obviously Farabee. I did a different procedure than those guys. I did the old school kind of take bone and stem cells off my hip and went through the neck, replaced the disc with that. They fused my C6-C7. I think those guys got our artificial disc. I read a lot of different books that are mental toughness books throughout my whole college career and kind of going back to what keeps me in a positive mindset. A lot has happened this year, obviously my wife gave birth in January. You can imagine the roller coaster. I got the surgery a week before that. It's just talking to other guys around the league that have got different injuries, but it's a process with any injury, right? I knew I wasn't gonna play this season after I got the surgery, so I kind of put my mind on just getting better, take the time that I need to get back to myself and feel good. I feel pretty good right now.

 

Cam, you and Couts are two guys who play both ends of special teams. Specials teams were an issue this year, and obviously one of the main areas of improvement going forward. How much do you think that your return, Couts’ and other players gaining experience can help that next year?

I take a lot of pride in playing in every situation, right, especially on the PP, but even more so on the PK. I've scored a lot of shorthanded goals, just because I trust my instincts and kind of do my own thing out there. I don’t know if people forget, I think I’m right behind Sebastian Aho for most shorthanded goals since 2015, or something like that. And Couts as well. We play such a huge role on special teams that obviously it allowed other guys to test it out a little bit to see what works and what doesn't. I think we'll both help to an extreme extent on both ends powerplay and PK. Not that we're going to be the solution. I think every guy needs to step up and do a little bit better job on both sides, but I think we'll help a lot more than we hurt.

 

We talked to Torts, I think it was about three weeks ago and he mentioned about the changes that the team has made to the medical department. He felt that was something that needed to be re-established, that trust needs to be re-established between the players and the medical team. He feels like they've made strides in that regard this year. You mentioned about misdiagnoses. How did that impact those months leading up to getting the surgery? Was there may be a lack of trust in the beginning and do you feel like that's improved over the course of the year?

Yeah, absolutely. It went through a pretty, pretty significant change, the new head athletic trainers and bringing in new guys that I hadn't know as well. You're trying to trust certain people. I have all my trust in Tommy and the team that's here now. It obviously took a little bit of time just because like I was going through things that I've never experienced and listening to this guy, that guy. People telling me this. Someone telling me that. It was just a kind of a gong show. It definitely has gotten straightened out and it's going to continue to get better. Like I said, I've been rehabbing here since my surgery for the last couple months and trust them.

 

In part why it was so tough for you, did you feel like maybe you weren't going to be able to play again like when you were going through that? Did you contemplate that at all?

Honestly, not really. I've been very fortunate and lucky with whatever injury I have. I heal pretty quickly. It's just the emotion of like not being told what the hell is going on when I know I'm not feeling good and that was the crappy part. I feel great. Like I said, I trust the process of who's here giving guys rehab and obviously our team doctors. It just was a crazy year. I'm just looking forward. I'm glad selfishly that the season’s done, so I can focus on the summer and doing what I need to do to get back to that elite shape and form that I know, and everyone knows that I'm capable of doing. Like I said, I haven't had any setbacks at all. I feel really good.

 

Cam, you mentioned about your shorthanded prowess and your abilities to score shorthanded goals. Obviously, you didn't play this year, but watching what Brad Shaw, who you worked with for years, what he was able to do with TK and with Laughts, turning them into real shorthand threats. Is that really exciting for you next year to get to play under him again?

Yeah, he kind of changed it up a little bit. I think he went more towards a diamond this year where in Columbus, we were more all pressure, all pressure. When one guy pressures, everyone pressure, so everyone was on the same page and knew what to expect. Obviously, when you struggle and not that we struggled a little bit, you have to change it up a little bit. I think it helped a little bit. For me where I have a lot of success is and Shawsy will be the first one to admit it, he lets me kind of be free rein, where I trust my instincts. 95% of the time it works. I'm always moving. I'm always moving. My partner knows kind of what I'm doing, where I always apply pressure. Obviously, when they get set up and they're not fully control, I'm always kind of just reading the play and anticipating because obviously being on the powerplay as well you kind of know what the guys are trying to look for in certain plays. Like I said, works out more so than it doesn't.

 

When we talked to John Tortorella recently, he said that he was hoping this season for you to be kind of that liaison between him having been his player in the past and also the locker room going through him for the first time. You didn't get to be that player. What role do you envision for yourself next year on this team, even though the team has already gone through a year with Torts?

Yeah, there's no secret that Torts and I have a really good relationship. He was my coach for six years. We've talked a lot before he got hired, when he got hired, and just through the process of getting injured, getting surgery and kind of being that sound board for the players to the coaching staff. I was that this year as much as I could without obviously being in the locker room 24/7. Just picking each other's brains on players, what's going on with these certain players and just trying to help out. He obviously expects a lot out of me and like I expect a lot out of myself. Just being a leader for the young guys and leading the way in how you practice, trying to bring guys into the fight that way and practice how you want to play. It was definitely tough not being a part of it, but he knows what to expect out of me. I'm looking forward to just being a leader for this group, this organization. Scoring goals and winning games, getting back to building that culture that Philly knows that we're capable of doing and getting back to the playoffs. Obviously, hopefully, one day winning a Stanley Cup.

 

In talking about John Tortorella, you were obviously excited when he was brought in at the beginning of the year. You've had kind of a different perspective of seeing things off the ice. How do you think he's done in helping to change kind of the culture of this team and the way that this team plays now?

I think you can see it with our results to an extent of - I shouldn't say results, but it's pretty obvious how hard the guys worked this year. For the most part, we weren't out of the games and every guy to literally the end of regulation fought to the very end. That's a great sign. That's what happened in Columbus, where we went through the process of evaluating players for the first couple of years and seeing who's part of the problem, who's part of the solution. Everyone kind of building toward that one goal and working together as a whole organization, not just the players, but obviously the top down management to the coaching staff to the equipment guys, the trainers, and then just being a tight knit group of that family atmosphere. I think he's done a really solid job and being very honest with each player. As a player, me personally I know it's probably not for everyone, but I appreciate that and know where I stand with him. It's not always rainbows and butterflies. Him and I have gotten to plenty of F-U matches and I'm sure we're gonna get into a lot next year. I embrace it and I appreciate the fact that he's trying to look out for the best of his players, even though the players might not think so in certain situations. He wants the best and he's going to do whatever it takes to push you to your limits.

 

Being close friends with Kevin, I know you're there for him through a lot last year. One, how has he been there for you through your process? He was just saying who's gotten the message loud and clear that he probably isn't a part of this process that's getting younger, so how have you been there for him through realizing that?

Listen, I can't control what happens. For all I know, I could get traded this summer. Kevin, I've known his family for a long, long time, so we're always going to be there for each other no matter what, through the good times and the bad times. I’m always going to be a sounding board, just like he was for me during this process of my injury and what he went through last year, kind of picking him up when he was down and vice versa this year for me. He's a good teammate and we sit next to each other in the locker room too, right? Just a good, good, good teammate. Who knows what's going to happen? I'm not gonna sit here and speculate. He's a good player.

 

Cam, you're the third player on the Flyers that has said the rebuild won't take as long as people think. What makes you say that?

I just think with two of your better players hurt - obviously a lot has to do with staying healthy, if Couts and I obviously stay healthy, who knows the changes that are going to be made this year, the young guys that have taken a step forward this year are only going to take another step forward next year to the push each other. I just personally don't think that we're that far off; I'm not gonna sit here and say winning a Stanley Cup, but being a playoff team. This year with all the injuries and people out up until All-Star Break, we were only four to six points out, and we went on a couple of 10-game losing streaks or something like that, something crazy and we're still there. I think when you add in a couple of your better leadership guys to hold everyone accountable, those overtime losses - I think we're one in 12 - you have two forwards out there and one D, guys that obviously are put in situations to score goals and help this team win. All those tight games that we lost, I think those could have been wins and so it was definitely an interesting year. Like I said, I don't think we're too far off.

 

C Scott Laughton

 

You look at this season, there's a lot of young guys that came into the lineup, you know, the rebuild could be quick. It could be a quick turnaround. You know, when you see what the young guys did, and the veterans who couldn't be back, how do you kind of see things going forward?

Yeah, I would agree, I think the step that some of those young guys made this year, and just the feel around the room, I think it was a little bit different from maybe the year past and the belief within guys and throughout the year, obviously, not where we want to be. But this is a situation we're in and we have a lot of young guys that have stepped up and played bigger roles. I think you saw it in the last two months or so, they're getting more opportunities and playing against some top guys and really getting their feet wet. You don’t always get that opportunity as a young guy to play those big minutes and be in key situations. So, I think it can only help down the road when we have a couple of young forwards that I think can be very valuable for us going forward. So, it's exciting for us and them and it's going be a big summer for a lot of those guys.

 

I'm talking about the younger guys, are there any guys specifically that stood out to you?

I think probably right off the top of my head is Tipper [Tippett]. I think he took a massive step, was dominant for a lot of games, especially when TK was out and kind of took over that role for us. Frosty takes a huge step, scores 20 goals or close to, I think, and plays some good hockey for us. And Catesy [Cates] plays out of position, plays center all year, and plays against the top guys. I thought he did a hell of a job. So, there's three guys that kind of come to mind. And then you have Yorkie [York] on the back end that I thought looked very good again, poised with the puck and makes plays, and very skilled and looks like he can run a power play. So, you have those pieces come up and they're not super young, even Foerster comes up and looks really good. So, they're not super young, but it's tough to get going in this league and I think they did. And yeah, time will tell.

 

You guys obviously would have wanted for the season to go differently in terms of standings. But this was for you, your best statistical year by a lot deeper. 40 points, your most goals of your career, I guess. How do you try to balance having pride in your own individual accomplishments with the disappointment of where the team finished?

Yeah, that's a good question. Because to be honest, it really doesn't matter to me. I signed here long-term, I want to be playing meaningful hockey. When it gets nice outside, I think that's the best time to play. I really hope these young guys can experience playoff hockey in Philly, because I don't think it's like any other. So that's obvious, you want to do well for yourself and help the team. To be given the opportunity on the power play – first time where I've kind of been on the power play all year – and get those looks and it's playing 20 minutes a night and playing against the other team’s top lines, and I got a ton of opportunity to kind of show what I could do. I'm thankful for that. But yeah, I'm decently happy with my year, obviously, you want to do more, and I think you can bring more to the table. But to be able to be put in those situations and succeed in some of them, it feels good for your game and all the hard work that you do put in over the summer and been around for a little bit of time now and to get those looks. Now it feels good.

 

You had a career year and a bunch of other players had career years – TK just passed 30 goals, Frosty, as you said, had 19. How important is that in terms of confidence going into next year? And how for you, as the guy wearing the letter, try to help foster that confidence into some of these younger guys?

Yeah, and kind of like what I touched on before, I think everyone has their own path and comes up in different ways. But a lot of guys took great steps forward and like you said a lot of career years. I thought TK was dominant, most of the games he played in, and something that he can definitely build on. But yeah, you try and keep that confidence going into next year, sometimes bounces go your way that year and you have five or 10 more points, or five or 10 more goals. So, you try and use that going into the summer and try and help your game and maybe do some of the same stuff that you did in previous summers and add to it, but the confidence, I think is, is a big thing, and some people don't believe in it. But I'm a big believer in confidence and getting those puck touches and thought some guys definitely stepped up and in the absence of some of our key guys who have been out all year.

 

A lot of guys have talked positively about steps that were taken on the penalty kill this year. How do you think that positive attitude might help you guys take a bigger step forward next year?

Yeah, I thought our penalty kill kind of dwindled there near the end of the year, and was losing us hockey games, I guess. And our special teams or power play wasn't very good this year at all. Special teams are a huge part of this game and it helps you win hockey games. You see, most of those playoff teams are usually in the top 15 in both categories, and usually top 10 or the elite teams. So that's something that you have to work on. But I think the way Brad Shaw teaches the penalty kill and just teaches the game is really good for the young guys and for myself. He was great on the penalty kill just the way he went about things. So, you see a guy like TK who's never probably killed in his career and I thought he flourished. Some guys took some big steps that I thought was huge on our penalty kill and our goalies were great too. So, something that we can definitely build on and get better at, but your special teams have to be pretty good to be successful and it's got to win your hockey game.

 

Scott, you're obviously a team leader, you're the only guy who wore the “A”. Tortorella talked a lot this year about this season being for him figuring out who's part of the solution and who needs to go, I guess. Has he involved you at all or anybody higher up involved at all in terms of trying to figure out who should be part of this moving forward?

No, I haven't talked to anyone about that. I guess everyone will have their conversations today and speak their mind and how they feel their season went and what's moving forward, but yeah, I'm not getting any younger and you obviously want to win in this league. I think that's why you play the game and I've said it before, I want to be here and be part of this solution and help these young guys out and try and take that next step for this franchise. I want to be here for it. But yeah, time will tell with Danny, I think he's got to put his fingerprints on this and what he wants to do with this team. So, we'll see what happens this summer and closer to the draft and go about it that way.

 

The only guy to wear a letter on your jersey. I was just curious how your relationship evolved with John Tortorella. Like did he start to seek you out more to get the pulse of the locker room? And how did that kind of shake out?

Yeah, to be honest, we didn't have that many conversations, probably a couple here and there, just about little things throughout the year on the road. Yeah, just more logistical stuff maybe and throughout the year just talked about where the group was at and how we were feeling. It's tough when you get into that last month and you're not playing for anything. You're obviously in the NHL, you're playing for the Flyers, you have that pride, but it sucks. It really does suck to play meaningless games and have nothing to look forward to, so the last month was definitely long but something that I hope to grow with me and Tortorella throughout the summer and have those conversations. But I can't say enough good things about Torts for myself, he gave me the opportunity, gave me great looks and treated me very fairly and with a ton of respect. So, I appreciate that.

 

When we talked to James van Riemsdyk earlier, he mentioned the relationship between you two and how you're going to be friends for a long time after this. And I think you've spoken about how much his leadership has helped you grow as a leader as well, just what has it meant to you to play with him over the years and especially this season to be a part of his milestone goal a couple games ago?

Yeah, that was awesome. My dad actually texted me before the game, he was hoping that I assisted on his 300th goal. So luckily, I won the face off and he scored. I was pretty excited for him. But the ultimate pro Reemer is. I think anyone will say that he probably knows he's not coming back and probably knew that for a little bit. He still cares about the young guys and the team, was still trying to find ways to help us win hockey games. On and off the ice, he’s a really great human being. Yeah, he's a lifelong friend and someone that I'll be friends with for a while. I can't say enough good things about Reemer. What he brings on a day-to-day basis and the way he handled himself throughout the situations that he's gone through here the last couple of years. So good for him. And I can't wait to spend a little bit of time with him here.

 

Scott over the course of season, you basically played with everyone more or less. But there was a five week stretch there. I think middle of December, late January, there literally wasn't a single lineup change with the same lines for five straight weeks. Was that stretch of the season good for continuity getting to, you know, pull things together as a team?

Yeah, I think so. And anytime you can, I guess try and build that chemistry throughout. Especially for some of those guys like Frosty and Tipper who were playing together and really finding themselves, I guess, and finding their offensive game together. I think it goes a long way. And I think Reemer helped out with that too. Touching on that, just the on the bench things that people don't see so much, I think was huge. And yeah, I think it helps and it's going to be those young guys, the core, that are going to come up here together and try and build something. For them to be able to get that experience, kind of like what I touched on before, but those big situations playing against Pastrnak and McDavid on a nightly basis I think can only help you.

 

RW Travis Konecny

 

I know it’s just a number on a stat sheet in a season that doesn’t end in the playoffs, but what did 30 goals mean to you last night?

It was definitely something I'd been aiming at getting at some point. I'd been close in the past. Every summer, ever since I had hit the 24-goal mark, that was a goal going into the season. Unfortunately, how we ended isn't the goal, but to hit that was nice.

 

In 2019-2020, you had what looked like was going to be your breakout year. The next few seasons didn't go the way you wanted it. What do you think was different for you about this one in comparison to those two?

I don't know. I'm getting a little – I'm not older in the league, per se – but I've played a few years now, so I think that kind of plays into it. Just understanding the game a little bit better, working on being in better positions to help the team and score and being in better ice for the most part. Also just coming in here knowing that with the new staff, you're going to have to prove yourself. Maybe that was that season – I think AV was brought on that season, so maybe I was proving myself then too, I'm not too sure. Just tried to work hard and put the work in and it just paid off.

 

How much did the relationship that John Tortorella had with you kind of get you to be the player that you were? Risto was in here earlier, he said Torts gave us a kick in the butt that maybe we didn't realize we needed. Would you kind of fall into that same equation, that maybe he gave you or said things to you that maybe you didn't know you needed to hear that really helped?

Yeah, definitely. You just knew every night you had to work hard, and if you didn't, you were going to be held accountable. There's something to be said about that. It doesn't matter who you are, you know you got to go in and put the – whether it's practice or morning skate, he was always paying attention to that stuff. We had a good relationship. To be honest, we didn't really talk, we just kind of understood each other, and I knew what he expected for me. When I wasn't giving that and kind of trending in the wrong direction, I knew that a conversation was going to come and then that would be it, and we would get back on track.

 

You weren't the only one to have a career season this year, a lot of the younger guys especially stepped up as this team is kind of moving into that rebuild phase. How much confidence is there with those guys stepping up that maybe you guys can kind of turn this around a little bit quicker than usual?

Yeah, it's really exciting. For those guys, too, it's so important to have that confidence going into next year. I don't think a lot of us in here are shocked at the seasons that some of the guys had, it was just a matter of getting an opportunity. This league’s kind of all about having that one person believing and giving you an opportunity, and it's what you do with it. These guys, they all got a chance to show their skills and their hockey smarts and what they're capable of doing. It's really big for us moving forward, and I'm sure they'll all say the same thing.

 

You mentioned that you guys obviously weren't shocked, really, but was there any one player that maybe you can pick out that you're like, “I didn't know he had that extra gear and that he could do something like that”?

There's multiple. You can look at all the young guys, really, and go through the list of them. The couple that come to mind for me, I know it's not Frosty’s first year, but he did a great job at trying to showcase what he's capable of doing. Then Tippy, you guys all saw what Tippy did. He's just – there's not a lot of players like Tippy. He kind of has the full package with the skating, the skill, and he thinks the game the right way. That's really impressive. Lastly, Catesy, it's just really impressive what he was able to do. I bring him up last because I played with him, and I had an opportunity to play like half my games with him and just see what he can do. For him to remind me that much of Coots in his first season is really, really impressive.

 

I know we talked about this a little bit during the season, but now that we're at the end, looking back at the beginning, how much have you been able to grow as a leader – just with the responsibilities that you’re given, and also the open structure in the locker room for guys to step up?

I tried to take on a little bit more of a leadership role. You could probably ask anyone, for me it's not so much the in-the-room stuff, I still joke around and try to keep things fairly light. There's other guys that pick up that and make sure things are running the right way in the locker room. I just try to work hard every night and kind of lead by example that way, but in saying that, there's so many guys this year that did that, so it was nice to see guys step up and kind of take on that role.

 

This year, you took on a significant penalty killing role really for the first time. How much pride is there for you in being that all-situations player?

It's always kind of been a goal of mine, just because I think the thing for me has always just been my hockey sense maybe wasn't always there. It's just I skate fast, and I shoot the puck, and kind of that's all there was to it. Maybe they're right, but I always thought there was something more and being able to have the opportunity to play on the penalty kill was definitely nice. We'll see moving forward where it goes, but I definitely enjoyed it this year. I think it just kept me in games a little bit more and more engaged. If the game was going well, you can make a difference on the penalty kill and maybe get some positive vibes going on the bench. It's definitely something I enjoyed.

 

Were there any players that you maybe watched from a PK standpoint, that maybe you tried to emulate a little bit?

Just around us, I think the one guy that I enjoyed watching last year was Cam, and he was really, really good at creating offense by just being in the right spots. He was never cheating, but if there was an opportunity to jump when it's the right time, and I kind of learned that from him just from watching last year. I'm sure at times I maybe was putting us in some bad spots, so there's definitely things that I can still clean up. But yeah, probably watching Cam.

 

Going back to way back in October, there was that game against the Sharks where you got sat down for the final two periods. In a way, was that kind of a turning point, not just in terms of having that first push-pull with Torts, but also just being able to respond to the adversity of a season for you individually?

Yeah, I think that was a big moment for me and for Torts because after that, we had a discussion and kind of built a relationship after that. Like I said, it wasn't like a whole back-and-forth communicating every day, it was it was more kind of right after that, and then we understood each other and kind of got that out of the way. I think it was big moment.

 

You mentioned that you didn't talk to Tortorella a ton throughout the season, and I think other players have said similar things. How long did it take you to get used to that kind of style, where he's not necessarily going to spoon feed you things, but he might want you to come to him with questions?

Every coach has their own style. I think the one thing that you could relate to every coach is if you're not hearing anything, it's probably a good thing. As long as you're not hearing from him, just kind of keep going about your business, and just keep going to work and that's kind of all I have for that.

 

When Danny was named interim GM, he and the organization were both very clear that this is now a rebuild. You had been mentioned as one of the 25-and-under guys, you’re not exactly that anymore. Where do you see your role in this rebuild, and what is your focus on helping the organization moving forward?

I'll just try to do as much as I can do and as much as I can control. Whatever opportunity I'm given, I'll just continue to try to work hard throughout the summer. Whether that means trying to be around here maybe a couple weeks just to be around young guys, or phone calls, or whatever it may be, but work hard in the summer and then try to set an example at camp and we'll go from there.

 

Is it tough for you – you’ve mentioned about how with Torts, if he's not talking to me, if Coach isn’t talking to me, I assume it's a good thing because he doesn’t have anything to say –  is it tough for you when some of your best friends on the team – Travis Sanheim, Kevin Hayes – they didn't necessarily have the same easy relationship with Torts that you had, in terms of being there for them while also you kind of know in the back of your head that you have a much better relationship with him than they do?

I could relate with it, though. I don't want to say that I didn't have my time, like I had times too with Torts where he was not pleased with me, and we had those conversations. I'm not saying I went through the season without any problems and I was perfect – I was far from that. We did have our moments. With other guys, I could relate too because I in the past with other coaches have had similar things where you just feel like you're maybe gripping it too tight, and things start to spiral and you get frustrated, or whatever it may be. I've been there. We're all professionals now, at this point, the guys you mentioned anyways, and they know how to handle themselves, they know. So, there isn't a ton of conversation that goes around it. It's just kind of, when you get out of the rink, you try not to talk about hockey, and maybe that's how I can help. When we're in the car, we're just kind of shooting the breeze about other stuff.

 

Kevin Hayes kind of hinted that he expects to be traded. How much of a loss would that be to lose Hayesy and his veteran leadership?

I remember from the first moment I ever spoke to Hayesy it was the day I signed, and he was one of the first guys that actually texted me. I had never met him before, and he sent me a nice text. Ever since then, Hayesy and I have become pretty close. We’re on the same card table on the plane, so we sit together every single flight, and we got to know each other really well. The impact he has in the locker room around the guys and stuff, it's – honestly you guys wouldn't even really know – it's just so deep and every single guy loves Hayesy, and what he brings to the table. Even his family, we've all interacted with his family over the years at their house and things like that. He's really bought into being a great teammate. On the ice, too, you just see what he brings. I'm hoping – I don't have control over any of that stuff, so we'll just see what happens. But at the end of the day, we all love Hayesy.

 

Speaking to another guy that's likely not going to be back because he's a free agent – James van Riemsdyk. He’s been around this organization for a long time. You’ve spent a lot of years with him. Just what has kind of he meant to maybe just you personally and to this locker room with just everything he's been through?

Reemer’s another one of those guys too where like I've over the years grown to love Reemer and become close with him. I think one of the things that he's taught me along with everyone else is how to be a good professional. He gets it more than anybody. He does all the little things that you have to do to be ready for just a practice, a morning skate, a flight, it doesn't matter. Eating the right things. He's brought that into this organization and showed us all the right way to go about that. And then on top of it, just like showing that you can do all that and still just be an awesome guy, have fun, and put your time into building relationships with people along with being a good professional. He has shown everyone the perfect balance of that, and we all love James.

 

Has Hockey Canada been in touch with you about playing in the Worlds?

Yes, and I am not going to be going.

 

D Ivan Provorov

 

When you sort of look at your season, both individually and for the team, how would you sort of describe how things went this year?

I think overall as a team, we took some big steps forward. Obviously, every time you don't make the playoffs, it's hard to call it a successful season, but I think overall, the team made the right steps forward and is definitely on the right path.

 

There were a lot of young players who stepped up for you guys. You got to play a lot with Cam York. It’s obviously maybe a difficult start of the season to get set down, but kind of learns, comes back up. What did you see from him throughout the season?

Obviously, coming into camp, I'm sure he didn't really think that he was going to be sent down, but when he did, I kind of texted him and told him, “Hey, don't get discouraged, play your game, get better, and you'll be up here soon”, and that's what happened. When he got called up, I think he was playing great and getting better with every game, and you can definitely see that he can be playing in this league full time from this point moving forward.

 

We’ve talked to Torts, and when your name has come up, he's always said how much he respects your approach, your hard nose play. He said that you guys have butted heads a little bit in the season. With the season over, where do you see your relationship with him at?

I’m still the player, he’s still the coach. Obviously, there's things you're not going to agree upon, but if both people put an effort to come to a solution, I think you can and that's how kind of our year went. We're going to continue to keep getting on the same page. Obviously, there's going to be things that come up that we probably are not going to agree on. But like I said, his job is to coach the best way that he can, and my job is to play the best way that I can.

 

You've gotten to work closely with Brad Shaw throughout the year. What did you learn from him as he helped you try to take the next step?

He's been great. With Shawzy, we kind of from the first couple of days of camp, we – or even a little bit beforehand – kind of got to know each other. I think it was a pretty open relationship in the sense of the input and what we were thinking. Whether it came to PK or the D-zone face-offs, or anything like that. Just to have that I thought was really good to be able to speak your mind and see if you can come up to a solution as a collective unit.

 

In terms of special teams this year, how much do you think not having Coots or having Cam all year kind of affected you guys?

Those are big players with a ton of experience and ability to help your team. So obviously, it's hard to replace those, but it kind of gave – I would say younger guys – opportunity to show what they can do and learn.

 

Rasmus was saying that he feels like he had two different seasons – the first half he didn't do anything right, and then the second half was a lot better. Having played with him, what were the changes you saw in him, and how much of a launching point can this be for him?

I think he missed the first five, six games with the groin injury. When you have that sometimes it takes you a little bit of time to get going. When you are a little behind, I feel like it's almost things stand out more. I think once he got back on track and found his game – obviously, everybody knows he's a big guy that can skate, that can hit and contribute that way and also has offensive abilities to help your team – so I think on the second part of his season, I think that's the Risto that everybody is used to seeing.

 

With the last couple months of the year, the organization has kind of pivoted towards this idea of a rebuild. With where you're at in your career, with your age and where you are as a veteran, are you open to being part of a rebuild?

That's definitely not exactly what you want to hear because I feel like I came into a rebuild, we had one good year, the bubble year that was also kind of paused – we were going into the pause on a nine-game winning streak, or it was just snapped, I think. Then after that, things went sideways, and we tried to quick fix that didn't work. I wouldn't say it's the most positive news you can hear, but there's a bright future here, and there's a lot of great players that can keep growing. Obviously, it depends on how quick everybody gets better and how quickly the team game gets better. I think that's what determines the length of the rebuild.

 

Kind of speaking to the rebuild, it seems like a common theme from some of the guys today has been it may not necessarily take as long as everyone may think with some of the young guys stepping up, you guys getting the guys like Atkinson and Couturier back. Do you think you can hold onto the fact that maybe you guys can turn this around a little bit quicker than it may seem?

It's hard to tell because as a team you're trying to get better, individually you’re trying to get better, but the other teams are doing the same thing. It's hard to tell how fast it's going to take, but I think everybody here is going to try to do their best to get this rolling and see what happens.

 

Have you had the chance to talk to Danny Briere in just where the team stands and how long he thinks this can take?

Yeah, he was pretty open about it that it is in kind of a rebuild stage. We did talk about it, but there was no real set years or how long it's going to take. All that was said was they're going to do it the proper way and I believe he will.

 

D Tony DeAngelo

 

Are you willing to go into at all why you think you were healthy scratched for the final five games of the year?

No, it's not my decision anyway, so I can't really get into it because I don't know.

 

You said you don't know, as in you don't know why you got healthy scratched?

I'm sure there's reasons for it, but nothing that either one of us were obviously willing to discuss. I'll just leave it at that.

 

But you have had conversations with John Tortorella about his reasoning and his decision making?

I'm not going to go into that, actually.

 

I'm not asking for what he said, I’m just –

Yeah, we talked, but not a whole lot.

 

Where do you feel like the relationship is – obviously you're going to be away from it for a while – but do you feel like it's at a point where it can't be salvaged?

No. The way I put it – I love being a Flyer. My whole life I've wanted to be a Flyer. Now that I am, I don't take it for granted at all. It's something that means a lot to me, so we're not going to let any relationship stuff get in the way. He's the coach of the team, so you got to respect that, and I respect what he does. Do I agree with it, what happened in the last five games? Absolutely not. I think it's ridiculous that I didn't play the last five. That's one thing, but he's also the coach of the team. It's not my job to decide that. All I can worry about is being a good teammate, which I think I did. Tried to stay out of the way. I don't want to be a distraction to anybody, these guys had stuff to play for. There’s milestones these guys are trying to get to, guys are trying to play for contracts next year – I don't know how many guys are due up, but all that kind of stuff. I don't want to be a distraction, that's why I was glad there was no – I know you guys were writing stories and all this – but it was more about, for me, what them guys were doing. I was done, wasn't playing, so it made no difference at all. Just try to be around, be a good teammate, watch the games. There were some good games, some good stuff happened. You keep watching guys like Tip and all that and just try to take that approach. Where, what am I going to do? I wasn't planning, it is what it is.

 

So just to be clear, you do want to come back next year?

I plan on being back. I want to come back. I have no clue what's going to happen. It's not my decisions, but I'll be training and getting ready to play another season here.

 

Brad Shaw kind of took a large hand in how the defense was, kind of what you guys did in the game plan and all that stuff. What was your relationship like with him, and maybe if Torts didn’t give you the answers you were hoping for about why you're out, was Brad sort of more the guy who kind of say, “hey, nuts and bolts, this is what we need from you, and maybe this was is what we were seeing”?

As far as you’re asking like in the last week here? No, I didn't speak to him in the last week about any of that kind of stuff. Not his decision. It's coming from above him. As far as a coach, I thought he was good. Real smart hockey guy, high hockey IQ, so it's kind of somebody you could talk to that sees the game in a sense that a player would see it from. When we're watching video together for example, he may see something when you're watching the game just as a fan or just as in the moment you see something, you’re like “what the hell?”, but then if you watch back and you can kind of explain to him what you were thinking maybe, he was pretty on the ball being able to understand where your head was at and stuff, so I thought he had a good hockey mind. Enjoyed kind of going over that kind of stuff with him and giving him my perspective on the way I see the game. I see it a little bit differently, I think, then some guys do and I have a different opinion on the way the way it should be played. He was good all year.

 

There were portions of the season where it felt like the power play was starting to get on track, a couple games here and there. How would you assess kind of where that went this year?

I thought the power play stunk for a little while. Then I thought there was times where it was real good and we couldn't score. Then there was times where it was average, and we were scoring. I'd say inconsistent would be the biggest thing. But, also a ton of different units, different guys that were on it as far as when guys were out, and guys were playing better, then all of a sudden, they're on it. Chemistry wise, consistency wise, I don't think we ever really got into something specific where it was just like – you watch these teams around the league like Washington has been the same unit for 10 years. Obviously, they have the best goal scorer of all-time on the unit, but it's just an example of when you need chemistry, you need to play together. You need five guys that are together for at least a few weeks, you would say, just to start getting something going. We probably maybe the five of us together didn't deserve that at the time, and I understood what Torts was doing trying to give it to the guys that were playing well, they're going to go on it as a reward. Guys that weren't playing well, they're going to come off of it. We kind of just never really found a groove. Maybe the last two weeks before the last five games, but we started getting a little bit of a groove. Just overall, just not I'd say chemistry might have been the biggest issue, and that just is what it is when you're in this kind of position with a team.

 

You weren’t the only veteran scratched this year. You also weren't the only guy to say there wasn't that much communication between you and the coaching staff as to why or moving forward. Was there some camaraderie among you guys who went through that and did you guys talk it out at

all about how to handle it?

No, everybody's – hopefully not everybody's been scratched – I've been scratched enough in my career. It's a coach's decision. Sure, we all talk like you guys would assume and give our opinions to each other and stuff, but not about that. We're not going to – the coach makes his decision, it is what it is. I would say 99% of the time a guy's going to disagree when he gets scratched. Is he going to come out and say it to him? Maybe, maybe not, I don't know. I’m more along the lines of a person that probably will. Maybe that's my problem. You’ve got to respect the coach's decision no matter where you're at, it is what it is. We're getting paid to play, not to coach, so if you’re scratched, you’re scratched, and you just try to get yourself back in. Unfortunately, for myself, I wasn't able to get back in, so that sucks. Missing the last five games is brutal for me because you don't get to compete, play. Watching the game last night. Would love to play with Brauner one final game. We became real close as buddies, so I would like to be in there with him. Who knows, maybe could have helped him get that 200^th point. I still think the NHL greased him out of that first one. I don't know what you guys see. Maybe he got a stick on there. I don't think they knew – they probably don't know he's at 199. Just that kind of stuff you get to miss. But no, we don't sit and gossip that much about that. It is what it is.

 

You mentioned that you want to be in Philadelphia. It’s been your dream since you were a kid to be a Flyer. You also mentioned that your relationship with the coach, you're not necessarily going to let that stop you from still wanting to be a Flyer, but is it hard for you to stay in a place if maybe there isn't a strong relationship with the head coach?

No. Like I said, I got to play, and I got to play better. I’m pretty accountable on myself. I feel like – did I have a good year offensively? Probably. I was probably pretty, in my opinion, I was pretty good with the puck. Did I have the points that I probably think I should have had? No. Lower year than I would have expected, even in the 70 games. There was other stuff that I didn't do as well. I didn't think I was great defensively all the time. There was some games where I was real good. Early in the year, I thought I was really good defensively, and then kind of dipped. As the points weren't coming, it was all over the place. Too inconsistent. I thought it was very frustrating for myself to be that inconsistent this year, especially after the year I had last year where I thought I was very consistent. That's not his fault. I can't blame Torts for that, me being inconsistent and him not being happy about it. That's stuff that I take responsibility for, and I was pissed about. It was a disappointing year for me in that sense. I thought I did a lot of good things with the puck. Without the puck, average at best. Some games really good, some games terrible. When you’re getting paid 5 million, to me, you really can't let that happen, and I take a lot of pride in being worth what I'm getting paid. People think that guys get paid, and they don't really care. Maybe that's the truth for some guys – not for me. I think I care even more, especially being a Flyer as well, so that bothered me. Having said all that, that would make me want to come back even more. I don't care who the coach is. I want to come back, and this is where I want to be. I’ve wanted to be a Flyer forever. As far as what's going to happen, I can't tell you what's going to happen. Even if I’m back next year, if I'm back after that year, I can't tell you what's going to happen. As long as I'm wanted here, I'll be here.

 

You were paired with Provorov in training camp, and the feeling seemed to be they wanted that to be a steady pairing throughout the year. Why didn't that work out?

That's another one for the big boss there.

 

From your perspective?

I thought we were real good together. In the first 15 – I don’t know how many games we played together, maybe 20, I forget exactly what it was, it was switching after that – I thought we were real good together, and I love his game. I like the way he holds onto the puck. Not many guys – I'm sure you guys have noticed over the years – can cut the net like he does and escape away from guys and hold on to the puck. He's real good at possessing it. He's a one-man breakout half the time. Good skater. Good defender. I thought we were good. We kind of got in a position where we were getting beat up pretty bad. We had that 10-game losing streak, and we were still together at that time. We were real shorthanded. We were missing I think Laughty, TK, and JVR at the time, on top of Cam and Coots, so we were beat up. We were kind of beat down offensively there for a bit. Obviously, that's when changes start to happen when you go through stretches like that. We make the change, and I don’t think we ever went back together. Maybe a game, maybe a couple of shifts in games where we were down. I wouldn't say disappointing because I don't really care who I play with – anybody you play with is a good player and you want to make it work with them – but we would have liked to play together a little more probably. I don't have an answer as to why we didn't get back together or why it did end in the beginning, that's not stuff that really comes up.

 

You're going to get two key players back next year – Atkinson and Coots. Do you think this team needs to make a lot of moves in the offseason?

I’m putting my GM hat on. That's up to Danny. Those two guys, to me, this year, if you have them from the beginning to the end healthy – I don't know, what did we finish 75 points, Playoffs was 93 – I don't know. You start to creep up there pretty quick I think with those two. That’s 100-plus points in offense that we didn't have. I don't know, it's tough to say “oh, we would have had nine more wins”. I have no idea what we would have had, but two really good first-line players on a lot of teams in the league. When you're getting those guys back, you're replacing two fours for two first-liners – it's a big difference. I don't know where we would have went with them, but I think that it's almost like two free agent signings at this point because they haven't played in so long. So maybe that's the moves they make, I don't know, but to me, getting those two guys back in, they play in all situations. You got your top faceoff guy, your top center, your power play guy, your top penalty kill guy, most likely, and then you got your top, maybe your second top scorer as far as goal scoring – it's a big difference. You're looking at 50 goals probably there. 50 goals that we could’ve used. Those are two guys, I’m hoping that I get to play with them and be back hopefully on a power play with them or whatever the case may be, but huge guys added to the lineup, and I'm sure Frosty and Tip are going to take another step like they already have. You got Tyse that was really good when he played. Probably if it wasn't for playoffs, he would have stayed up. I've said it to you guys all year, a lot of a lot of positives – more positives than people probably think we have coming, and that's what happens when young guys get to play.

 

You mentioned kind of some of those young guys there at the end who, as you said you were watching their career years towards the end of the season. How much can guys like that taking that next step also help you guys maybe, not speed up the reboot a little bit, but maybe not make it take as long?

There's a step that they all took, and there's probably another step for them as well. I think that you see the skill that a guy like Frosty – he could probably even take another big step, I would think. His ice time probably fluctuated throughout the year. I know he was down a little bit, and he was in and out, whatever the case may be. Then when he started to play consistently – I was just reading something, maybe one of you guys had it up actually, I read all this stuff just so you guys know – 41 points his last 50 games? Or last 60 games, whatever the case is? Something like that. If you’re putting out numbers like that, with his skill, and playing with good guys, and playing on special teams – I think there's another even level for him to get to. You guys seen how good Tip was playing. The important thing for them is, from past experience I would say, is you get the ice time when your team's in a position that we were in. You’re getting 20 minutes a game – you may not get 20 every night now, because we're going to have Cam and Coots back and all that kind of stuff. So, they got to keep finding ways to produce and play maybe a little bit less and still find a way to jump to the next level, because as your team fills out and you get more depth, not everybody can play 25 minutes a night. They're really good though, too.

 

One thing, whatever good or bad happened this year, whenever he was healthy, Carter Hart was just very consistent this year. What does that mean for the team?

It’s the most important position. Without him, we might have had some more struggles this year. He's really good. First 20 games, we were probably floating a little bit over .500 I would say or close to it, and he was probably the sole reason. There were some games where it was 45-20 on shots and we were winning 3-2. Really good goalie. Good in practice, works hard. Crazy preparation. He’s a very focused and determined guy. That's what you need in the net. I think Philly has been, you guys have been waiting for a goalie for a long time, and we got one.

 

The organization put a pretty big emphasis this year on the identity of the city and just getting back to what made the Flyers great in the first place. How do you think that that developed throughout this year?

I think it developed pretty good. I think we were a respected team as far as if you look at our lineup if you were an opposing team, you don't know how much you want to play the game, is it's a certain score, especially. Having guys like – and it's not even all to do with fighting – but having guys like Deelo in the lineup and what he's done for us this year. You look at the game in Ottawa, I like that a lot what he did there. Yorkie gets hit when a guy skates probably 140 feet down the ice and one of our top young prospects is going to get hit like that at full speed from a big guy. Then that guy, he hit him, but he also knew that something was coming after that. That kind of builds a good identity for the team, and it also protects the young guys. It gives the young guys a little more leeway on how they're going to play the game. Gives them just a little – I'm trying to think of the word, I’m missing it here – but they just feel better about what they could do on the ice. You got Deelo, you had Seels, you had myself, had Pepe when Lemieux came in there, and Laughts. Laughts was picking up for JVR a couple nights ago. I love that kind of stuff. JVR’s a 30-something year old guy and he's bigger than Laughts, and you got Laughts trying to tackle one of the Columbus D for him. So that's the kind of locker room I think we've built, which is really good. You guys will see it obviously in the playoffs coming here, that's what's needed. You need a locker room like that. Guys that take care of each other and pick up for each other no matter what. We're 25 points out of the playoffs and we still got guys doing it. To me that means something. It may not mean something to everybody, but it does to me. You could kind of throw in the towel with eight games left as far as when it comes to fighting – not your work ethic – buy some guys would say “eh, I'm not going to jump in and fight”. We have guys getting in there picking up everybody no matter what happened. That's the way to do it.

 

So, assuming you're back next year, Torts is back next year, how do you sort of iron out all those inconsistencies in your game the way he wants you to play so everybody's on the same page?

It's not even what he wants as far as my game, that's on me. Like I said, I'm not going to criticize Torts for pointing out that I made some bad plays defensively, that's not him. I'm not going to get mad at him for it, that's me. That's where I need to do a better job. I felt like maybe I was pressing for offense a little bit almost, to produce the way I thought I should be producing. I don't like making excuses, that kind of sounds like an excuse. I just got to be better defensively, I'll put it to you that way, and better overall, in a consistent manner. There was times where in the beginning of the season, I thought I was playing my best hockey I've ever played in the league. I was playing really, really well. Then it was just from there – up and down, up and down. There were some real good spots where I was like, “alright, we're trying, we're getting it back a little bit here, we're pushing in the right direction”. Then you have a game where it’s down. I remember one game against LA where I thought I had one of my worst career games, and that was right after I thought I was playing pretty good. That's really never happened in my career. I felt like I've been consistent for the most part, so that's something I'll fix. I got a sour taste in my mouth to the way things ended. To go have a good summer, train, and get healthy, all that kind of stuff and then get ready to go again. I'm pretty confident I’ll have a real good year.

 

RW Owen Tippett

 

I know maybe the season isn't ending the way anybody wants it to, but from where you were when you got here for training camp to where you are now, what is your confidence level because of what you were able to accomplish. Are you going into the offseason feeling pretty good about yourself and about your game?

Yeah, I think so. I think for me, this year was a big stepping stone and just kind of realizing what kind of player I needed to be to have success. I think I was able to find that. Obviously, with that comes confidence, like you were saying. Obviously, going into the offseason, it helps to kind of have that confidence and be able to build off that.

 

At the beginning of the season, there was a little feeling out process, you are finding your groove, playing for Torts and those kinds of things. It obviously clicked as the season went along. Do you feel going forward and kind of hit the ground running next year?

Yeah, I think anytime a new coach comes in and you got new guys in the group, there's always that feeling out process. Just understanding what's expected of you and kind of what your role is. Going forward, I think with each year that you kind of have the same group and same coaching staff that it allows you to kind of take steps going forward.

 

Owen, by the end of the year, you were one of the guys who Torts couldn't say enough good things about: about your progression, about you as a player. Looking back going into the season, how concerned were you about playing for John Tortorella?

I don't think I was concerned. I work out with guys, and I've talked to guys who in the past have had Torts. They had nothing but great things to say about him. I think he's one of those old school coaches that just goes off of - he wants guys to work hard each and every day. I think if you can do that, you're gonna put yourself in a good spot. I've never been one to kind of come in and just go through the motions. I think each and every day is a chance to get better and the harder you work, the more results you're gonna get out of it.

 

Kind of talking about Tortorella and the opportunities that he gave you, how much did getting put in more and more situations, you got more minutes, you saw different situations on the ice, how much as someone who was kind of looking to show maybe they feel they could be a player? How much does that help the confidence?

Yeah, I think the more situations you get in, the more comfortable you become in those situations helps with confidence. I think when you play those kinds of big minutes in last minute periods in games, it goes a long way. You become more comfortable in those situations. I think it helps a lot with just overall confidence and just knowing that you're trusted at times. It for sure goes a long way, just as an overall aspect.

 

Travis Konecny has had like two to three 24-goal seasons, and he admitted that eventually 30 goals became a goal for him. He hit it this year. Would you circle maybe 30 for next year for yourself?

Yeah, I think so. I'm not really trying to set any goals the day after the season's done. I think just knowing I was kind of scratching at the surface there of 30 that obviously can be a goal. It's one of those things where I want to improve each and every year, whether that be 30 goals or something else. It's something that you can kind of look forward to as the next milestone.

 

What progress do you think you made, particularly in the last month or so of the year, at developing the power side of your game? That was a real emphasis that Torts had for you in terms of what he wanted to see you working on?

Yeah, I think it's one of those things where all year, like you said, he's been emphasizing that. I think once I got more comfortable and used to playing that style game, it's when things took off. It's one of those things I know I have the capabilities to do it. Now that I know that's kind of what I need to do it, it's just a matter of being consistent at it.

 

Is it more of a mentality thing in that regard? Like, you obviously have the physical ability to do it, but is it just in the middle of a shift reminding yourself that I can go in and get that puck or I can win that battle?

Yeah, I think it's all situational. There's so many different things that happen each and every shift and throughout a game. There's certain times where you can take it to the edge and there's certain times where that's not the right play. Maybe there's another play to be made. I think it's all situational, but at the same time, it's one of those things that you can add in your game. Once it's a mindset, then it just becomes a consistent matter.

 

Was there something about this group of guys specifically that helped you find yourself or find your game?

Yeah, I think right from day one when you go through training camp, you become close with guys. I think we had a great group in there that we wanted to go to work each and every night for each other. When that's the case, everyone trusts you in the group and you're tight, you build those friendships. It makes it more enjoyable and feel less like work. It's definitely one of those things where the tighter group you have, it's easier to go to work and you want to fight for one another.

 

It's great to have individual success and growth in your own game. When you look around and you see your peers like Morgan and Joel have big months to close up the season. How exciting does that make going into this offseason and then into next season?

Yeah, it's great. Obviously, you love seeing other guys do well and reach those milestones. TK was sitting at 29 for a while and it was good to him for him to hit 30. Frosty had so many opportunities at 20. Brauner, I still think he should have gotten that assist on that goal last night. It's always amazing to kind of see it and be with those guys when they hit their milestones. I think the last half of the year when guys got more comfortable and started to take off personal success, it's when you start having more fun kind of as a group. You just kind of want to help each other have the most success as possible. I think it goes a long way with that and it builds confidence for next year for sure for everyone in the group.

 

G Carter Hart

 

Obviously, I'm sure this wasn't the season that any of you guys wanted to have, but how much can you guys hang your hats on how resilient this team and how hard you guys were to play against?

I don't think there was – we had a few games where we were off – but I thought for most nights this year, we competed. We were in a lot of games. We had a lot of overtime games this year, and maybe not the best record in overtime, but a couple of big overtime wins to finish the year off strong. I thought our group was very resilient and just competed night in and night out, even when we were out of the race.

 

How important was it for you personally to come back at the end of the year healthy and finish the year and get a win in your final game?

I definitely wanted to come back and just was making sure I was feeling 100% before I came back. The last two years previous didn't finish the year off healthy, so really wanted to come back and push through and battle back to finish off the year.

 

You obviously had the strong first full year in 2019-2020. The next year didn't go at all the way you wanted it to. Last year, you were satisfied up until the end when you felt like you tailed off. What's your self-evaluation of the season?

As a team, obviously, we're not where we want to be right now, on the outside looking in. I can always be better. This summer I’ve got some things to work on and tidy up and get stronger and faster and be ready for next year, and for a push to be hopefully still playing at this time. I think we've also made a lot of strides this year as a team and with a lot of the young guys we have here coming up.

 

You mentioned about obviously wanting to still be playing this time of year next year. That said, the organization has been pretty open over the last couple of months about transitioning to a rebuild. You're basically in the prime of your career right now. What's your openness to kind of waiting out a rebuild to get to the point where you're playing playoff games if it's going to take a few years?

I'm still only 24, but I want to win as well. I love playing for the city. I love playing for this organization. I'm very, very grateful for everything they've given me and the opportunity that I've had here. I think that with the young guys we have coming up and the promise they started to show towards the second half of the season, I think it looks bright, our young core of guys. I think Danny is going to be the guy to turn things around and get the ship going the right way.

 

What gives you confidence in Danny? Obviously, there's some inexperience – he's only 45 – but everyone just raves about his hockey mind. What do you see in Danny?

Just talking with him, even before he was in this position now as our General Manager. He was a hell of a player, had a hell of an NHL career, and he’s just a smart hockey man. The way he carries himself around the team and tries to be involved with the guys and talk to all the guys on a personal level. I think we really appreciate that. He's gonna be a good fit for us.

 

You mentioned that you felt like you saw a lot of growth from some of the young players in front of you. How encouraging is that to you – even though you're not necessarily playing with them when you're back there and you see them take over games and things like that – how encouraging is that?

I think it looks very promising. I think Tip made huge strides this year. You started to see glimpses of the player that he's going to become or – I mean he had a hell of a year this year, and he's only going to get better. He's a strong, powerful forward with a lot of skill, so it's very exciting to see his growth and development. Frosty this year – so much skill and you started to really see it. He was playing with a lot of confidence this last stretch and made some pretty silky moves on the ice. It's fun to watch. Then even Tyson coming up and having a cup of coffee but playing really well when he was here. Egor played really solid when he was here for a couple of games. Some of the young guys – Cam had a good year here. We got a lot of young guys coming up here in our organization that are going to be a huge part of this future

 

We talked to you a little bit about this at the start of the year with regards to the Hockey Canada situation. I know in recent weeks, it was revealed that Team Canada isn't going to be allowing any of the players involved to go to World Championships. Is there anything you can comment or are willing to comment on that situation as it stands right now?

I can't talk about it right now. I wish I could, but not till it's over.

 

You're one of only four goaltenders to win the team MVP award, and both the coach and several players said that you were the best player this year, not only on the ice, but you were also a leader in the locker room. Are you more of a vocal presence there now? Have you sort embraced that role a little bit?

I'm not maybe the loudest guy, but I try to lead more kind of with my work ethic and work habits on the ice and off the ice. I think now that I've been here for five seasons, that I'm not afraid to maybe say a few things if they need to be said. I think we got some guys in here that have taken strides in that leadership department. I think Laughts has been a huge leader for this group this year. Obviously, missing some veteran guys out of the lineup all year with Ryan, and with Coots, and Cam. I think Laughts has been a huge leader for this team this year.

 

As a guy who played in front of you for four years, how nice was it to see Brauner get the level of respect and attention he got yesterday?

It was so cool. To see his parents come down and read the lineup, how emotional they were, and then Justin's Dad on the bench in the third period, that was really cool. Kudos to the coaching staff for letting him come on. After the game, before the game, you just see how much Brauner is invested into the sport, and how much he cares about the game, his teammates, his family. He's been a great teammate to me and a great friend to all of us. It's been a pleasure playing alongside him these last four years.

 

Tortorella has said all season that he doesn't watch goalies or know anything about goalies, so I'm curious – what has that relationship with him been like, if you get any sort of feedback, or if there's been much change concerning your goalie coach stayed the same as last year?

I think Kim handles mostly the day-to-day stuff. If there's something Torts needs to say, he'll say it. I think we've gotten along great this year. He's been good for our group, and he's gotten the most out of our team this year for sure.

 

You mentioned earlier about the young players and the development. One of those young players that definitely impressed was Sam Ersson, who also plays goal. It seems like they see him as a part of the future. This year you were clearly the number one. Sam I would assume, if he makes the team – I'm not sure what's going to happen with Felix and whatnot – but he'll be pushing for starts probably. How is that relationship with you and Sam right now, and do you think you guys can make it work if he develops into a really good goalie at the NHL level too?

I think competition is healthy. There's only two goaltenders on a team so I think there needs to be that good relationship on and off the ice in pushing each other. With Felix this year, we got along really well. We had a great relationship with Moose in the past, Martin Jones – they've been great. I think that's really important. I don't know what the future is with Sam and with Felix, but when Sam was here, he played really well. He's a great guy off the ice, we got along well. Felix as well. Felix is a great goalie, got a lot of skill, a really good skater. I'm not sure where they're going, but either way, they're both good guys.