From the moment he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, Cutter Gauthier has been derided in some circles, with attacks on his character fueled by social media after the Philadelphia Flyers effectively parted ways with their former prize prospect.
Gauthier fielded questions Wednesday about the surprising deal, in which the Flyers traded 19-year-old Boston College standout and recent U.S. World Junior gold medalist to the Ducks for young defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. 2025 draft round.
The reaction to reports about Gauthier’s recent dealings with Philadelphia (or perhaps lack thereof) was so toxic that Gauthier said he received death threats via social media. Most of the questions Gauthier has faced have centered around one simple question: Why didn’t he want to play for the Flyers?
“That’s the question everyone is asking, and the most important thing I can say now is that I have to keep it to myself, my family and my agent,” Gauthier said. “It has been a long process over the last few months dealing with this. I don’t think this is the right time to discuss it. There may come a day when I go into detail about what happened. For now I want to keep it a private matter.”
During a 30-minute phone call with local reporters, Gauthier said his head is “kind of spinning” in the two days since the trade, and emphasized that he’s excited to join Anaheim after his college season ends. He also noted death threats when describing the visceral reactions he received.
“There’s been a lot of good and bad,” he said. “A 19-year-old kid getting a lot of death threats and a bunch of millions and thousands of people coming up and saying some pretty lame things that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, it’s pretty hard to watch, obviously. . But it’s a business. With all the rumors that are spread that are not true, it is a little difficult to come out and say a word or anything to calm those people down.
“But, you know, people will have opinions. People are going to say things. I can’t tell you whether you have an opinion or not. “It’s definitely been a bit of a stressful situation (the) last 48 hours.”
Expanding on the threats he has received, Gauthier said: “My (direct messages) right now and Instagram are pretty crazy from what people are saying. There have been thousands and thousands of messages. I’m still getting five or ten minutes ago. And it’s a bit cruel what people say.
“I really didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I was just looking at a situation, I would say a pigeon’s eye view from above. I thought it was best for me to make the decision I made. Obviously some people won’t be happy about this. I’m not here to please everyone. I am here to do what is best for me and my future. I felt like that’s what I did. Obviously, people won’t be very happy about that. Yeah, some pretty mean things people say.”
While he understood the amount of interest that would arise after the trade, Gauthier admits he has found it difficult to stay away from his cell phone or social media. But there has been support amid the backlash.
“It’s kind of hard when you have it all right there in your face,” he said. “You open Twitter and you see my name and every report of what’s going on and everyone has their own opinions. It’s a little hard not to completely distance yourself from him.
“As I said before, it’s a business. People are going to say things, especially in the situation we are in now. It’s a little hard to know the real reason and see people making all these false statements. Not being able to really express what really happened yet. It’s been a little difficult, but it’s also been good. A lot of people have approached me.
“You can definitely see who your circle of friends is in situations like this. “It’s definitely been good for the most part and obviously a handful of bad things from Flyers fans.”
In the time since the trade, Gauthier said he went back and forth on whether he should fully explain what was behind going from being the Flyers’ No. 5 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft to asking them for a trade in Last April after their first season with the Águilas concluded. He opted for the discretion of privacy.
“I’ve seen all the rumors that are spreading right now,” he said. “It’s kind of funny what people are saying right now. I don’t think I’ve seen anything that’s been said that’s accurate about why all of this happened. “People like to talk and people like to make things up and other people like to listen.”
Another aspect of the trade that Gauthier sought to dispel is the idea that he didn’t want to play for Flyers coach John Tortorella. He said his interaction with him was positive.
“All those rumors saying I was afraid of Torts, that’s not the case at all,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of (difficult) coaches throughout my life and I think any coach I play for would love to have me on their team. I want to do whatever it takes to win. If they’re a tough, yelling, yelling coach, I’ll take the hits. I’m never going to disrespect or talk back to a coach. I’m going to give it my all every turn. That definitely wasn’t the reason I didn’t want to play in Philadelphia.
“I actually met Torts during development camp two years ago. She was super excited and delighted to meet him. Obviously, being a big name in hockey and the coaching industry, I definitely wasn’t against playing for him at all.”
And while he stayed away from details about the Flyers and his dealings with them, Gauthier specifically took issue with St. Louis Blues forward Kevin Hayes being described as someone who influenced his desire to play elsewhere. place. Hayes, who played with the Flyers from 2020-2023, is a former BC player that Gauthier has gotten to know well.
“I’ve seen all the rumors going around that Kevin Hayes has his fingerprints on this,” Gauthier said. “I want to clarify that he has nothing to do with this. He has absolutely nothing (to do with it). Some of the people who say these things about his family and things like that are pretty cowardly. He has no fingerprints on this.
“I haven’t spoken to him in a long time. I just wanted to clarify it. It’s not just his word against everyone else’s. I wanted to make sure that (it is known) he was definitely not involved in this at all. It is a kind of lack of respect towards him and towards his name that they put him in this.”
The Ducks made the trade with the firm belief and knowledge that Gauthier would sign with them after completing his second season with the Eagles, who are the top-ranked team in college hockey. Gauthier said that’s his plan and that his NHL debut could still come if the Eagles were to play for the NCAA title, while Anaheim plays its season finale five days after the championship game. He said he has been in contact with current Ducks forwards Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson.
But the prospect of him playing his first game in Philadelphia will have to wait, as the Ducks already made their only visit in October. When asked how he anticipated the first game at the Wells Fargo Center would be, Gauthier said “chaotic.”
“I have that (future) date marked on my calendar big time,” he continued. “I can’t wait to go out there and play my game in front of those fans and do my thing. “I’m really looking forward to that game.”
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