Flyers captaincy a long time coming for Sean Couturier: ‘Time to give him the reins’

TORONTO ― That’s Couturier with a capital “C.”

On Wednesday night, the Flyers named Sean Couturier the 20th captain in franchise history, filling a vacancy since Claude Giroux was traded to the Panthers in 2022. Travis Konecny was named alternate, joining Scott Laughton, who has worn the “A” since 2022-23.

Flyers coach John Tortorella had said earlier in the season that he was going to keep it “status quo for the year,” so Wednesday’s move marked a reversal in course.

“I think our room has grown as we started the year, and we subtracted last summer in order to get our room in order. It’s grown and I think it’s time that we added to the leadership group,” Tortorella said. “...That group with the letters, that’s not the whole leadership group. There are other people, but as far as the letters are concerned, we feel comfortable with these three.”

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Couturier said the announcement caught him by surprise. He found out right before practice Wednesday, and then the team held a meeting where Tortorella announced the new leadership group.

“[I’m] really honored and happy. But like I’ve said, it’s going to be business as usual. We’ve got a good thing going on right now, so just gotta keep it rolling,” Couturier said.

Couturier previously served as an alternate captain for several seasons and seemed on track to be Giroux’s heir apparent before he missed almost two years recovering from back injuries. After making his long-awaited return to the ice this season — even without a letter — it didn’t seem as though he had missed a step at all.

“He was a pain in the [butt] for me last year, because he wanted to play,” Tortorella said. “He did nothing but complain to me like this, that, and the other thing. So I wasn’t sure how it was going to go.

“Listen, I respected him. I’ve been in the league for a while and watched him play from afar, against him. I’ve always had a ton of respect in how he plays the game.

“I have a different level of respect how he’s handled this situation and two major operations, aggravation, not playing for two years. Just how he’s handled himself. ... So this is this is a good time to give him the reins as far as wearing that C.”

Giroux, who was the longest-tenured captain in Flyers history, texted Couturier last night to congratulate him. Couturier pointed to Giroux and to Chris Pronger — whose final 13 games with the Flyers overlapped with Couturier’s rookie year in 2011-12 — as two former Flyers that he learned a lot from.

Laughton said that both Couturier and Konecny are important role models to show the younger players on the team how to be a professional, and that their leadership is particularly important in off-ice situations.

“We all kind of knew Cootsy and TK were leaders on this team,” Laughton said. “It’s nice to have a captain, I think. It’s nice to have that leadership group, to kind of lean on in different situations.”

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Jamie Drysdale, a Toronto native, will be playing his second NHL game in his hometown on Thursday. But it will be the first time playing at Scotiabank Arena in front of fans; his previous trip here, while with the Anaheim Ducks, was during the COVID-19 pandemic when games were closed to the public.

“Just skating on the ice, being in the building, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Drysdale said.

He conceded to growing up a Maple Leafs fan, “though my view has changed a little bit,” he said.

After the team arrived in Toronto, Drysdale grabbed dinner with his family and friends. He said he has around 70 people coming to see him play Thursday.

“I just think that we’re playing some good hockey right now. And the Leafs are obviously a top-notch team. So just another good measuring stick for us,” Drysdale said.

Sam Ersson will start in net. ... The Leafs will be without their top defenseman, Morgan Rielly, who is serving a five-game suspension for cross-checking Ottawa’s Ridley Greig. ... The Flyers have lost five straight games against Toronto.

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