Quick Hits: May 10, 2023
1) In a pre-tournament exhibition game before the 2023 IIHF World Championships, top Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier left the game in the second period and did not return after he was on the receiving end of a drive-by elbow from Team Germany's Nico Sturm. Shortly thereafer, Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch fought Germany's Tobias Fohrler.
There is no update as of yet on Gauthier's status, but it looked like he was potentially concussed on the play.
Sturm (🇩🇪) stuck an elbow out on Gauthier (🇺🇸) in a friendly before group play at the #IIHFWorlds.
— Eric Reese (@EricReesePSN) May 9, 2023
Gauthier did not return to the game. #Flyers #FueledByPhilly #Sharks #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/NKKJP8YQCu
Team USA won the game, 6-3. Drew O'Connor scored twice for the Americans. Flyers/Phantoms defenseman Ronnie Attard tallied once as did Conor Garland, Rocco Grimaldi and Sammy Walker (empty-net goal).
2) Flyers center Scott Laughton received two honors yesterday. He was named an alternate captain for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships. Additionally, the National Hockey League announced that Laughton is the Flyers' nominee for the 2022-23 King Clancy Trophy.
The trophy is awarded each year to the NHL player who "best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.… Laughton, who is arguably the single most universally respected player in the Flyers' locker room among his teammates and the only Flyers player who wore a letter on his sweater in 2022-23, is the team's Clancy nominee for the second straight year.
"It's a huge honor for myself to be very involved in the community where I was drafted, grown up, and now live," Laughton said in a statement.
"A lot of credit goes to my wife, Chloe, who's such a big part of this. The nomination is something that means a lot to me and I'm very grateful because Philadelphia has given me so much and I want to always give back. Giving back, being a part of this community and to be a voice for various groups and organizations, I take great pride in it, and I believe is part of our responsibility."
Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere was still an active player when the Flyers drafted Laughton in the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. They were briefly teammates during the lockout shortened 2012-13 season.
"I was really happy with how Scott played this season and how he emerged as a leader in the locker room, both on and off the ice, especially leading the way for our younger group of guys," Briere said in a statement. "His dedication to the city of Philadelphia and surrounding communities is unmatched and an honor to watch him connect with so many of our great fans."
Prior to the start of the 2022-23 season, Laughton was instrumental in recruiting the entire Flyers roster to get involved in the organization's Player Community Match program, which paired every Flyers player -- including rookies and first-year arrivals -- with a community or charitable initiative in the Delaware Valley. Laughton serves as the Flyers' ambassador and spokesperson for the NHL's Hockey is For Everyone program. In tandem with teammate and close friend James van Riemsdyk, Laughton and JVR continued their "Flyers Pride" initiative, hosting more than 100 individuals from the LGBTQ+ community at 20 Flyers home games. He also volunteers time as an ambassador for the newly launched non-profit Canadian organization, Alphabet Sports Collective.
Additionally, Laughton is actively involved in causes related to cancer. On behalf of Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia, he is a RMHC Companion, donates from his own money to the Guest Chef Program. In lieu of wedding gifts, Scott and his wife, Chloe, asked guests at their wedding to donate instead to Ronald McDonald House Philadelphia's Adopt-a-Room sponsorship program.
Laughton never seeks publicity for his charitable endeavors, but also makes in-kind and monetary donations to the Salvation Army's holiday toy drive, the USO Skate at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees. He's contributed toward funeral expenses for local families struggling financially and coping with the death of a loved one. He's donated toward cancer treatments and toward classroom Amazon wish lists of teachers in the Philadelphia area.
As hard-nosed and competitive as Laughton -- who is also a world-class chirper -- is on the ice and as devoted as he is to teammates in the locker room, he's every bit as kind-hearted at civic-minded off the ice.
To me, the only problem with the King Clancy Trophy is that there's always a long list of very deserving candidates. It'd be hard to fathom someone being more qualified than Laughton across the NHL, but there are quite a few individuals who are equally as deserving. I've always thought that, rather than an award for one player, there should instead simply be an honor roll of a player from every NHL club.
3) Vic Stasiuk, the last living member of the Philadelphia Flyers' original hockey operations staff and the second coach in team history, passed away on May 8 at the age of 93. He'd have celebrated his 94th birthday on May 23. On PhiladelphiaFlyers.com, I wrote a memorial article.
4) On today's edition of Flyers' Daily, Jason Myrtetus speaks to Flyers right winger Travis Konecny. TK talks about his career-best scoring season (despite missing considerable time with injuries) in 2022-23 and why he believes he still has an opportunity to further improve.
31 goals in 2022-23 and looking for more.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) May 9, 2023
In the latest Flyers Daily, TK discusses his improved shot, tendencies, and the benefits of working with goaltenders at practice.
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